


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



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THE 



HISTORY OF WARWICK, 



RHODE ISL^-^T^r), 



FROM ITS 



SETTLEMENT IN 1642 TO THE PRESENT TIME ; 



INCLUDING ACCOUNTS OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOP- 
MENT OF ITS SEVERAL VILLAGES ; SKETCHES OF THE 
ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE DIFFERENT 
CHURCHES OF THE TOWN, &c., &c. 



OLIVER PAYSON FULLER, B. A. 



" Colligite /ragmenta nt iion quid pereat. 




PROVIDENCE: 

ANGELL, BURLINGAME & CO., PRINTERS. 






\' 'i i 



Yli^Vn 



Entered according to Act uf Congress in the year 1875, by 

O. P. FULLER, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



F81 






^^ 



PEEFACE 



The present work was commenced as a means of relaxation 
from professional labors, with simply the intention of furnish- 
ing a series of historical sketches for a countrj'^ newspaper. I 
had only pursued my inquiries for a brief season when I found 
the field so rich in interesting and important historical matter, 
that I was led to believe that even a poor reajjer miojlit gather 
a considerable harvest. It was a matter of surprise that one of 
the constituent towns of the colony of Rhode Island, and one 
that throughout its history has exerted so important an influ- 
euce upon its prosj^erity, and produced so many men of talent 
and influence, should not have found among them some one to 
perform this work many years ago. It was not, however, until 
a large portion of the material of this volume had accumulated 
ujDon my hands that I concluded to publish it in its present 
form. 

The amount of biographical and genealogical matter that I 
have allowed to come in, may be regarded by some as excessive 
lor such a work, aud the separate accounts of the villages, 
instead of incorporatiug them into the general history of the 
town, may l)e open to criticism. I preferred this arrangement, 
as I conceived it would give me a better opportunity to intro- 
duce many items of a semi-historical and traditional character 
with which the several villages abound. It would have been 
an easy task to have filled a much larger volume than the 
present with the published documents relating to the town, 
with which the Colonial Records and other works abound, but 
I preferred to leave that which is already well preserved, and 
secure a portion of that which, from the nature of the case, 
was liable to be lost. 



IV PREFACE. 

Special assistance in the preparation of this volume has been 
derived from the very able and comprehensive " History of 
Ehode Island," by Lieut. Gov. Samuel G. Arnolcl, from whose 
careful statements I have never seen cause to differ; and also 
from the works of Judge Staples, the valuable biographical 
notes connected with his Gorton's " Simplicitie's Defence " 
being found of special use. In the preparation of the local 
accounts, my acknowledgments are due to Mrs. Joseph Bos- 
worth, of Providence, for placing in my hands " Letters from 
the Pawtuxet," prepared by her brother, the late Hon. Henry 
Kousmaniere, also to Ex-Lieut. Gov. Wm. Greene, Hon. Wm. 
B. Spencer, of Phenix, Deacon Pardon Spencer, of CromiDton, 
Hon. Simon Henry Greene, of Clyde, Mr. and Mrs John W. 
Greene, of Old Warwick, and others. 

Should the present work awaken an interest in the history 
of the towu, and lead some abler pen to do well what is here 
done so imperfectl}', I should have no reason to be dissatisfied. 

O. P. P. 
Centreville, October, 1875, 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTEE I. 

Page. 

Condition of the country previous to 1642. Its aboriginal 
iiftiabitants 1 



CHAPTER II. 

Prom the first settlement in 1642 to the granting of tlie 

Town charter, March 14, 1648 8 

CHAPTER III. 

Prom the granting of tlie Town charter in 1648 to the 
adoption of the Royal charter by the R. I. Colony in 
November, 16C3 34 

CHAPTER IV. 

From the year 1663 to the close of Philip's war 60 

CHAPTER V. 

Prom the close of Philip's war to the Declaration of Ameri- 
can Independence, July 4, 1776 81 

CHAPTER yi. 

Prom the breaking out of the Revolutionary war to the 
year 1800 106 



Vi CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Pago, 

Fi'om the year 1800 to the present lime — 125 

SKETCHES OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE 
SEVERAL VILLAGES OF THE TOWN. 

Old Warwick, or eastern part of the town f. . 137 

Apponaug and Cowesett Shore 150 

Crompton 162 

Ceutreville 179 

Arctic 202 

Phenix 206 

Lippitt Village 225 

Clyde Works - 233 

River Point 235 

Natick 245 

Pontiac 259 

Hill's Grove 268 

A COMPLETE LIST OF WARWICK SOLDIERS IN THE WAR OF 
THE REBELLION. 



APPENDIX. 

UISTOUICAL ACCOUNTS OF THE SEVERAL CHURCHES OF 
WARWICK. 



E K R A T A . 

On 12Gih pngc, Itth line from top, for "father" road -brother. 

On 14l)Ih page, 8th line from bottom, for -'cove" lea I— cave. 

On 15-2d pagi', 8th line from bottom, for '-north" real— east. 

On 165th page, 4l.h line from bottom, for "1637" read— 1C07, 

On 18.!d page, 21st line from top, for ''Paweatuck" read-Pawtuxet. 

On ISoth page, 9th line from top, for ■'six" read— four. 

On 185th page, 14th lino from top, for "four" read— si.\. 

On 1»M page, Cih lino from bottom, for "1813" road— 1P22. 

On UKitli page, 5th line from top, for Allen Waterhoiise, read— .Mien .fc WaterhDuse 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



THE HISTORY OF WARWICK, R. I. 



CHAPTER I. 

Condition of the Country previous to 1642. Its Aboriginal 
Inhabitants. 

Before referring to the settlement of Samuel Gorton, 
Randall Holclen, John Greene and their associates, which 
resulted in the present flourishing town, let us glance at 
the previous condition of the country, and its aboriginal 
inhabitants. 

The first permanent settler in the Slate of Rhode 
Island was William Blackstone, who, in 1634, left Bos- 
ton, where he possessed a large landed estate, and took 
up his solitary abode at Study Hill, in the present town 
of Cumberland. About two years later, Roger Williams 
with five companions, crossed the Seekonk river, and 
began the settlement of Providence. In 1638 William 
Coddington and a few others, found a home on the Island 
of Aquidneck, and at about the same time a few fami- 
lies might have been found at Pawtuxet. The causes 
that led to these several settlements will appear in the 
course of this narrative. 

With the above exceptions, the territory included 
within the present boundaries of the Stats of Rhode 
Island, was the abode only of the red man. Here he 
roamed unfettered and undisturbed. His wigwams dotted 
the hill tops and valleys in every direction. The forests, 
which abounded with game, resounded with the excite- 
ments of the chase. ()ver the waters of the Narrasran- 



2 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642. 

sett ill his canoe, or bounding along its beach, he moved 
as free as the fox or the deer in the forests. He had 
never doubted his right to the soil, which had been trans- 
mitted . to him by unnumbered generations, as each in 
.turn had gone to the " new hunting grounds." And 
when in the course of time a few distressed white men 
came and begged a little of his ample domain, and he had 
given them, or sold at a nominal price, its fairest por- 
tions, it was beyond the limit of his fear, that he or his 
descendants, would ever live to see them become his 
masters and succeed him in the possession of his terri- 
tory. Such, howevL-r, Avas destined to be the ease, even 
before the pappooses then swinging in their hammocks 
should arrive at the age of their venerable chief Canoni- 
cus. 

The three principal tribes inhabiting southern New 
England at the time of the settlement of this town, were 
the Pokanokets of southeastern Massachusetts, which in- 
cluded among its subordinate tribes the Wampanoags, 
who inhabited the eastern shore of Providence river, and 
around Mount Hope Bay ; the Narragansetts who with its 
tributary tribes, possessed nearl}^ the wholeof the present 
State of Rhode Island, and the Pequots, who with the 
Mohegans, with whom they became blended, occupied 
Connecticut. Among the tributaries of the Narragan- 
setts were the Shawomet or Warwick tribe and the Paw- 
tuxet. In the early records Pomham or Pumham and 
Sacononoco are named as two sachems, near Providence, 
" having under them two or three hundred men." The 
former was sachem of Shawomet, and the latter of Paw- 
tuxet. The Cowesets " occupied the easterly part of 
Kent County." These three tributary tribes seem to 
have been the occupants of the territory inclosed within 
the present limits ot the town, with the exception of that 
portion known as Potowomut, which was held by Tac- 
comanan, a sachem residing in that region. They also 
formed a part of the great Narragansett nation, whose 
chief sachems were the noble and peace loving Canoni- 
cus and his generous but ill-fated nephew Miantonomi. 



1642.] ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 3 



It is difficult from the varying accounts to determine with 
much accuracy the number of the Narragansetts. Brinley, 
in the Massachusetts collection, states it at 30,000, 
while Callender, perhaps at a later date, says on the au- 
thority of Roger Williams, that they cculd raise 5,000 
fighting men. Williams said " one would meet a dozen 
of their towns in the course of twent}'- miles travel." 
The ravages of disease and the defection of their tribu- 
taries even before their sanguinary war in 1676, greatly 
reduced their strength, which may account for the differ- 
ence in the statements. 

Williams bears generous testimony to the hospitality 
and general integrity of the natives, and after a residence 
of some years among them, during which time he had 
ample opportunities to study their habits, expressed the 
following opinion of them, in his key to their language : 
" I could never discern that e:f cess of scandalous sins 
among them which Europe aboundeth with. Drunken- 
ness ; nd gluttony, generally, they know not what sins 
the}^ be, and although they have not so much to restrain 
them (both in respect of knowledge of God and laws 
of men) as the Enolish have, yet a man shall never hear 
of such crimes amongst them as robbeiies, murders, adul- 
teries, &c." Williams, however, modified his statements 
concerning them subsequently, and gives a less favorable 
view of their character and habits. Perhaps in coming 
in contact with their new neighbors their character and 
habits were themselves luodified, and made necessary a 
corresponding change in the estimation of VVilliams. 
Intemperance, especially, was a vice of which they had 
been happily ignorant, and which, in common with their 
new associates, they found it difficult to resist. Gookin, 
as late as 1774, after referring to the diffictilty of con- 
verting them to the gospel, says : " Bttt let me add this, 
by way of commendation of the Narragansett and War- 
wick Indians who inhabit in this jurisdiction, that they 
are an ttctive, laborious and ingenious people." 

In regard to their religious belief, several writers, and 
especially Roger Williams, give us considerable informa- 



4 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642. 

tion. They evidently held to a plurality of gods, chief 
of whom were Cowtantowit, who was their good deity, 
and dwelt in the balmy regions of the Soulhwe.-t, and 
Hobbamocko, whom they regarded as an evil spirit, but 
rendered him a certain kind of homage, to keep his fa- 
vor.* Beside these there appear to have been other 
deities, of minor consideration, of whom Williams ob- 
tained the names of thirty-seven. They held the tradi- 
tion that Cowtantowit in the beginning made one man 
and one woman, of stone, but afterwards becoming dis- 
satisfied with them he broke them in pieces, and made 
another couple of Avood, from whom have sprung all the 
races of men. There is here a faint suggestion of the 
Mosaic account, with its original creation of one pair 
and the subsequent partial desti'uctiou ot the race at the 
deluge. 

Their system of religion included the great doctrine of 
the soul's immortality, which they affirmed they received 
by tradition from their fathers. Their supreme deity, 
Cowtantowit, presided over their destinies, gave them 
fruitful fields, success in war, ;.nd at death received them 
to his ha|)py abode, if they were good. Williams says, 
" they believe that the souls of men and women go to 
the southwest : their great and good men and women 
to Cowtantowit's house, where they have hopes, as the 
Turks have, of carnal joys. Murderers, thieves, and 
liars, their souls, say they, ' wander restless abroad.' " 
They held annually a feast of thanksgiving for the fruits 
of harvest, and also after a successful hunt, or at the 
conclusion of peace with their enemies. At such times 
they were accustomed to kindle large fires in the fields, 
about which they sang and danced in the most violent 
manner, the pawwaws or priests directing the services. 
Frequently on such occasions valuable articles were 
thrown into the fire, as if in sacrifice. 

While the voice of the sachem was the law of the 
tribe and the lives and interests of his subjects were at 

* No Indian shall at any time be suffered to powaw or perform out- 
ward worship to the devil in ■^iny town in this government. — [J7icie?if 
laws of New Yoi-k, called the " Duke's laivs." 



1642.] RELIGION OF THE INDIANS. 5 

his disposal, he was accustomed in all matters of impor- 
tance to confer with his counsellors, who were termed 
the Paniese. These were selected from among the wisest 
and bravest of the tribe, and were usually men of com- 
manding presence. They were not only his council of 
state but also the immediate guard of his person. Their 
chiefs were termed sachems or sagamores. The govern- 
ment at the time of the first settlement was made in this 
town, was divided between Canonicus, who was an aged 
man, ami his nephew, Miantonomi, between whom there 
was perfect harmony. Williams sa3's, " their agreement 
in the government is remarkable." 

The revenues of the sachems consisted of the contri- 
butions of his subjects, which appear to have been chiefly 
voluntary. As their generosity would tend to secure his 
favor, he was usually well supplied. Beside " whatever 
was stranded on the coast, all wrecks and whales found 
floating on the sea and taken, were his." * 

The Narragansetts were the principal manufacturers 
of the established currency of the country, which was 
called wampumpeage. or abbreviated to wampum or peage. 
There were two kinds, the white and the dark, the lat- 
ter being of double the value of the former. It was 
made from the shells abounding along the shore, the 
white from the periwinkle, and the dark from the poqua- 
hock, or quahaug. The dark part or eye of the shell 
was cut out, ground smoothly and polished, and olteii 
strung and worn about the person. In 1649 the value 
of the black was equal to one-fourth of an English pen- 
ny ; the white one-eighth. Gov. Arnold says, "this 
currency was used by the Indians for six hundred miles 
in the interior, in trading among themselves, and also 
with the English, French and Dutch, who made it legal 
tender. Its manufacture was not restricted. A string 
of three hundred and sixty pieces made a fathom, and 
in the large payments it was r. ckoned by the fathom. 

From the large deposits of shell dust along the Nau- 
sauket shore, reaching from Apponaug to Warwick Cove, 

'* Magnalia, Book IV., p. 51. 



6 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642. 

as well as from the rich deposits of these shell fish in the 
vicinity, it is probable that a large and lucrative busi- 
ness was carried on in this vicinity in this manufacture. 

The Indian languages are said to have been rich and 
varied in their vocabularies, enabling the natives to ex- 
press themselves with accuracy and force. The Narra- 
gansett, which was spoken with some idiomatic variations 
in the different tribes over a large extent of country, was 
a variation of the Delaware. About the only remnants 
of it remaining are to be found in Roger Williams' Key, 
the missionary Elliott's Bible,* and Cotton's Vocabulary.f 

The Indians decreased rapidly from the war of 1676, 
at which time, according to Hubbard, thej^ had about 
2,000 fighting men. In 1766 they were reduced to 315 
persons, residing on their reserved lands in Charlestown. 
In 1832 tjiey remained the same in number, but only 
seven of them were of pure Indian blood. In 1861 their 
number was found to be reduced to two of t4iree-fourths 
blood, ten of half blood, and sixty-eight of less than 
quarter blood. J Thus in less than two centuries from 
the time that Eoger Williams was greeted by the red 
man, with " What Cheer, Netop ! " as he crossed Seekonk 
river, to find a home in this wilderness, the brave and 
hardy natives had nearly all passed away. 

With the exception of a few names of places or bodies 
of water, (which will appear in subsequent pages), and 
an arrow head or other implement, occasionally found, 
about all the mementos of this once numerous race 

* Wtile Elliott, tlie Indian missionary, was engaged in translating 
the Bible into the Indian language he came to the following pas.sage ia 
Jndge.s, V. 'IS: ''The mother of Siscra looked out at the window and 
cried through the lattice," etc. Not knowing an Indian word to sig- 
nify lattice, he applied to several of the natives, and endeavored to de- 
scribe to theiij what a lattice resembled. He described it as a frame 
work, netting, wicker, or whatever occurred to him as illustrative, 
when they gave him a long, barbarous and unpronouncable word, as 
are most of their words Some years after when he had learned their 
dialect more correctly, he is said to have laughed outright upon rind- 
ing that the Indians had given him the true term for eel-pot. He had 
translated the passage, " the mother of Sisera looked out of the win- 
dow and cried through the eel-pot."— [fii^e^ow's History of Natick, Ms. 

t Arnold, vol. 1. 

X Dr. Usher Parson's Account. 



1642.] RAPID DECREASE OF THE NATIVES. 7 

have disappeared from the town. Their places of burial 
are unmarked, and the sites of their villages unknown. 
Occasional!}' their bones are exhumed but not frequently. 
Last fall, while a Mr Briggs, who lives on the Coweset 
road, a couple of miles east of the village of Crompton, 
was digging a cellar on a dry sandy knoll, he found the 
bones of two persons that were evidently of this race. 
Those of one of the persons w hen laid in their natural 
position, measured six feet and four or five inches. The 
others belonged to a smaller individual. The high cheek 
bones, the absence of all signs of a coffin, and the position 
of the bodies, indicated their race. Mr. Brigg's grand- 
father built the house which stands a few rods from the 
spot where the bones were found, some seventy or eighty 
years ago and the spot had often been plowed over with- 
out knowing of their presence. 

Among the few natural curiosities relative to the In- 
dians, may be mentioned several "Drum Rocks," one of 
which is situated about half a mile south of the residence . 
of Gen. Alphonso Greene, and not far from Walla Willa 
pond, in the southeast corner of what is familiarly known 
as drum rock pasture. The rock is about eight feet long- 
by three wide, weighing several tons, and so poised on 
another that a person of ordinary weight standing on one 
end of it will cause it to come down upon the under one 
with a considerable sound ; passing along the rock to the 
other end will produce a similar effect. Appleton's Gaz- 
etteer says, "the sound produced may be heard at the 
distance of twelve miles." A rare state of the atmos- 
phere and rare qualities of hearing we should deem neces- 
sary to meet this statement. A couple oi miles west of 
this rock and near the residence of Mr. John Foster is 
another of much larger size, that is so poised upon one 
beneath it that a person of ordinary strength may move 
it. It is evidently out of position for '■ drumming " pur- 
poses, having probably slipped a fevv inches from its foun- 
dation. These rocks were probably used by the Indians 
to give alarm in time of danger and to call the people 
together at their pawwaw gatherings. 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642-48. 



CHAPTER II. 

From the first Settlement^ in 1642, to the granting of the 
Town Charter, March 14, 1648. 

The same general reasons that led Roger Williams to 
form a settlement at Providence, induced Samuel Gorton 
and Lis companions to take up their abode in the wilder- 
ness cit Shawomet. The former found his religious views 
at variance with those of the standing order in Massa- 
chusetts, and he was banished out of their jurisdiction. 
Gorton was also a preacher and founder of a religious 
sect, and his views, both ecclesiastical and political were 
not only obnoxious to the colonists of Massachusetts but 
also in a less degree to those of Providence and Aquid- 
neck. Both had sought the more hospitable regions 
among the Indians where they hoped quietly to enjoy 
that freedom in " rehgious concernments " which they 
were denied among their own countrymen. 

Samuel Gorton came to this country from London in 
1636, and landed in Boston, whence he soon removed to 
Plymouth. There his religious opinions soon brought 
him into collision with the authorities, and he was ban- 
ished from among them.* Morton, in his " New England's 

* It is ordered by the Court, that in case any shall bring in any Qua- 
ker, Rantor, or other notorious heritiques, either by land or water, 
into any p'te of this government, shall forthwith upon order of any 
one magistrate, returne them to the phice from whence they came, or 
clear the gov'ment of them, on penaltie of paying a fine of twentie 
shillings for every week they shall stay in the government after warn- 
in^Q.— {Plymouth Col Rec, 1657. 



1642 --48.] SAMUEL GC)RTON — PERSECUTIONS. 9 

Memorial," giving the side of Gorton's opponents, sa3^s 
he fell " into some dispute with Mr. Ralph Smith, who 
was an elder of the church there, and was summoned 
before the court to answer Smith's complaint. He there 
carried himself so mutinously and sedidously as that he 
was for the same and for his turbulent carriages toward 
both magistrates and ministers in the presence of the 
court, sentenced to find sureties for his good behavior 
during the time he should stay in that jurisdiction, which 
was limited to fourteen days and also amerced to pay a 
considerable fine." Gorton himself, in his '' Simplicities' 
Defence against a Seven Headed church government 
united in New England," says of his experience in Mas- 
sachusetts, " plaiidy perceiving that the scope ot their 
doctrines was bent only to maintain that outward form 
of worship which they had erected to themselves, tend- 
ing only to the outward carriage of one man toward 
another, leaving those principles of divinity wherein we 
had been instructed in our native country, tending to 
faith toward God in Christ ; and we finding no ground or 
warrant for such an order in the church to bind men's 
consciences unto, as they had established among them- 
selves, our consciences could not cloi^e with them in such 
practices. Which they perceiving denied us the common 
benefits of the country, even so much as a place to reside 
in and plant upon for the maintenance and preservation 
of ourselves, our wives and little ones, as also proceeded 
against us as they had done to others, yea with more 
severity, unto confinements, imprisonments, chains, fines, 
whippings and banishment, to wander in the wilderness 
in extremity of winter — whereupon we were constrained 
with the hazard of our lives to betake ourselves unto 
that part of the country called the Narragansett Bay.'' 

He appears to have been warmly received at Aquid- 
neck, though he soon found himself again in difficulty. 
He ignored the civil authority established there as not 
being properly derived. •' After the charter was received 
from the En2;lish crown his mind was relieved upon this 
point." He afterwards removed to Providence, where he 



10 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642-48. 

experieuced similar difficulties. Though the utmost relig- 
ious freedom was a distinguishing characteristic of the 
colony at Providence from its origin, its civil government 
lacked due authoiity in the opinion ot Gorton and his 
associates, which led him to say in reference to that at 
Aquidneck, that they had '' no authoritie legall}^ derived 
to deal with me, and I thought myselfe as fitt and 
able to govern myselfe and famih^ as any that were 
then upon Rhode Island." The result of holding these 
sentiments was to bring him again into collision with the 
constituted authorities. Arnold, in his " History of 
Rhode Island," says that " so great was the contention 
caused by his presence that Mr. Williams (Roger) seri- 
ously thought of abandoning his plantation and removing 
to Patience Island." The contention assumed eventually 
such serious dimensions that thirteen of the seitlers 
finally petitioned, (Nov. 7, 1'641,) Massachusetts for 
assistance. The petition set forth " the insolent and 
riotous carriages of Samuel Gorton and his company," 
among whom are mentioned John Greene, Francis 
Weston and Randall Holden, who were afterwards among 
the original purchasers of Warwick. The answer 
returned was " that they could not levy any war, &c., 
without a General Court. For counsel we told them." 
says Winthrop, " that except they did submit themselves 
to soiue jurisdiction, either Plymouth or ours, we had no 
calling or warrant to interpose in their contentions." 
Gorton and his comjjanions soon after removed to Paw- 
tuxet, where their conduct led four of the settlers there 
to put themselves and their estates under the jurisdiction 
of Massachusetts, and seeing the complications that 
were likely to ensue, they purchased Shawomet, " beyond 
the limits of Providence, where English charter or 
civilized claim could legally pursue them no longer." 

DEED OF SHAAYOMET. 

The following is a copy of the deed given by Miantouomi to 
the Warwick settlers: — 

Know all men that I, Myantinomy Cheefe Sachem of the 
Nanheygausett, have sould unto the persons here named, one 



1642-48.] DEED OF SHAWOMET. H 

parsell of lands with all the rights and privileges thereoff what- 
soever lyinge uppon tlie west syde of that part of the sea 
called Sowiiouies Bay from Copasseiieluxett over against a 
little Hand in the sayd Bay, being the north bounds and the 
outerm.'^st point of that neck of land called Shawhomett-, being 
the south bound ffrom the sea shoare of each boundary uppon 
a straight lyue weslword twentie miles. I say I have truly 
sould the parsell of lands above sayde the proi}ortion whereof 
is according to the mapp undei'writlen or drawne, being the 
form of it. unto Randall Houldeu, John Greene, John Wickes, 
ffrancis Weston. Samuel Gorton, Richard Waterman, John 
Warner, Richard Carder, Sampson Shotten, William Wuddall 
ffor one hundred and forty foure ft'athoms of wampumpeage. 
I say I have sould it, and possession of it given unto the men 
above sayd with the ffree and joint consent of the present 
inhabitants, being natives, as it appears by their hands here- 
unto annexed. 

Dated ye twelfth ot January, 1042. Being enacted uppon 
the above sayd parsell of lande. 

In the presence off 
Totanomans MYANTONOMY 

His -{- marke 
PUMHAM Sachem of Shawomet 

His ^^^^^™ marke 
JANO 

His J marke 

John Greene 

The original deed of the above mentioned tract of land 
is now in possession of Hon. George A. Bray ton. the late 
chief justice of Rhode Island, a native and late resident of 
this town. It embraced all the territory at present included 
in the present town of Warwick and Coventr}-, with 
the exception of the Potowomut purchase made subse- 
quently, and the northeast corner of Warwick, included 
north of a straight line running from Copasnetuxet cove 
to the Pawtuxet river. The tract embraced about ninety 
square miles of territory, or about 60,000 acres.* 

* This is only a rough estimate. The present t(?\vns of Warwick 
and Coventry contain 103.7 square miles. Coventry was subsequently 
set oif from Warwick. 



s/'~h\ 



12 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642-48. 

The price paid was equivalent to X36. Backus says 
the vahie was computed at =£40, 16s. Peage seems to 
have been the general term for money, and wampum, 
which signifies white, and sackauhock (sacki : black), 
distinguished the two kinds, the former made from the 
metauhock or periwinkle and the black from the jDoqua- 
hock, or quahaug. 

The deed of John Greene from Miantonomi and Sac- 
ononoco of Occupasnetuxet, including the farm now in 
possession ot the heirs of the late Governor John Brown 
Francis, is dated October 1st, 1642, and confirmed by 
Surquans, alias Moosup, to Major, or Deputy Governor 
John Greene, June 15, 1662. 

Kichard Waterman, though one of the original purchasers, 
does not appear to have resided long in this towu We find 
him a resident of Salem, in 1636, and subsequently of Provi- 
dence. He afterwards removed to. this town, and was present 
when the Massachusetts soldiers came and arrested the settlers. 
It is not quite clear that he was arrested with the others, but he 
received about the same time the compliments of the General 
Court of Massachusetts held on the 29th of the 3d month, 1644, 
in the following order: — 

" Richard Waterman being found erroneous, heretical and 
obstinate, it was agreed that he should be detained prisoner till 
the Quarter Court in the 7th month, (September,) unless five 
of the magistrates do find cause to send him away, which if 
they do, it is ordered, he shall not return within this jurisdiction 
upon jjain of death.'' 

He lived chiefly in Pi'ovidence and jSTt^wi^ort, dying in the 
latter place, October 27, 1673. He was buried iu Providence, 
corner of Waterman and Benefit streets. He left four children; 
viz : Nathaniel, Kesolved, Mehitable and Waiting; Mehitable 
mariied a Tenner, the ancestor of Governor Fenner; Resolved 
married Mercy, daughter of Roger )Villiams; he had five chil- 
dren: Richard, John, Resolved, Mary and Waite. John, the 
second son of Resolved, mariied Anne Olney, daughter of 
Thomas Olney; this John was the first ot the name who made 
^Varwick a place of permanent residence. A sketch of the 
house built by John Waterman " was made by Mary A. Greene, 
as desciibed by her giandmother Welthian Waterman, in 1842, 
in the original room built by John." This John died August 
26, 1728. aged 63. leaving tight children: Elizabeth, Mary, Ann, 
John, Benoni, ResJved, Patience, Phebe. 

Richard Carder was admitted a freeman iu Massachusetts, 



1642-48.] PECULIAR FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 13 

May 25, 1636; he afterwards settled on Rhode Island, where, 
being disfranchised, a fate not uncommon in those times, he 
united his fortunes with the original purchasers of this town. 

During the Indian war, the inhabitants left their Jown, and 
took up their abode at NewjDort, where Carder died before the 
war closed. Ilis son John married JMar}^ daughter of Randall 
Holden. His descendants are now found in various parts of 
the town. 

The little colony did not presmne to exercise any of the 
powers of a legal government until 1647, when the four 
towns — Providence, Portsmouth, Newport and Warwick, 
were duly organized, under a charter, obtained from the 
English Parliament, March 14, 1644. The settlers con- 
sidered themselves subjects of the English government, 
and until they received authority from it, continued to 
dwell together as a voluntary association, making from 
time to time such rules and regulations as seemed both 
conducive to their interests and compatible with their 
ideas of such an association. They had denied the au- 
thority of the self constituted governments of the other 
towns, and now acted in accordance with these principles. 
Some of the acts, however agreed upon during this time, 
closely border upon the authority they denied to the 
other towns, and how they would have determined cases 
of resistance to their rules and regulations it is difficult 
to say. It does not appear from any records remaining 
that they ever experienced any serious diffictilty in this 
respect, however, during the five years in which they con- 
tinued in this condition. Within this period, and proba- 
bly soon after they received the deed of the lauds, (the 
date is not given) we find upon the records in the 
clerk's office the following regulations, which are entitled : 

TOWSr OKDEKS. 

" The purchasers of the plantation doe order and conclude 
ttirst: 

'•That wee keepe the disposal! of the lands in our own name. 

"That none shall enjoy anny land in the Neck called Mishao- 
met but by grant of ye owners and purchasers. 

" That every aker of medow shall have its proportion of up- 
land as the Neck mav afford. 



14 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [164-2-48, 



" That we lay our hie^Yaies into the Neck in the most conve- 
nient places as we think fiting. 

" That no man shall either directly or indirectly take in anny 
cattell to common, but only milch cattell and laboring cattell. 

" That whomsoever is granted a lott, if hee doe not fence it 
and build a dwelling house upon it, in 6 months, or in forward- 
ness thereto, for ye neglect his lot is to return to ye Towne, to 
dispose of. 

" That for the towne proper to all the inhabitants, is to bee 
from ye ftrout fence of the Neck into the countrie Jour miles. 
and that no part of this common shall [be] ajipropriated to 
anny but bythemaior part of all ye inhabitants; and that every 
inhabitant is to have sixakers to his house lott. tor which hee is 
to pay to ye Treasurer l'2s. and this four miles common is an- 
nexed to every man's lot." 

Several other "orders" follow : one in regard to the 
manner in which a person could be received into the 
company is specified : he was to be "propounded" and 
afterwards voted in "by papers or beans" and pay the 
sum of ten pounds sterling. The fourteenth order pro- 
vided that "no man in the towne is to sell strong lickers 
or sack to the Indians, for to drink in their houses, and 
if it bee proved, hee that so breaks this order shall pay to 
the treaserie five shillings for each oft'ence." {Subse- 
quently (16-18), after the organization of the government 
under the charter, this last order was strengthened by 
the addition of wine to* the prohibited "lickers," with an 
increased fine of twenty shillings for its violation. This 
was the beginning of the prohibitory liquor .legislation 
in this town, but by no means its ending. 

The trials to which the hardy pioneers were about to be 
subjected, and to which we now turn our attention, is pro- 
bably without a parallel in the history of any of the New 
England settlements. They had nearly all of them at 
different times been inhabitants of the Massachusetts, or 
the Plymouih colony, and had either been formally ban- 
ished by the authorities, for their peculiar religious, or pol- 
itical views, or found it necessary for their comfort to seek 
a home elsewhere. It does nut appear that any were 
charged wdth immoral conduct. Gorton was regarded 
as an ecclesiastical Ishmaelite, and not without some rea 
son. His associates were men of iiide} endcnt views, who 



1642-48.] CLAIMS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 15 



preferred a dwelling in the wilderness with savages, to 
a home .among the civilized without liberty of conscience. 
This liberty had been denied them in Massachusetts, 
and to a less extent perhaps at Aquidneck and Provi- 
dence. In those days it was a favoiite pastime for the 
Massachusetts magistrates and divines to engage in theo- 
logical controversy, and for a man to differ in the slight- 
est degree from their standard of orthodoxy, was to sub- 
ject himself to untold hardships, among the least of 
which, was that of banishment from the state. Their re- 
membrance of the trouble which the Rhode Island colo- 
nists had already occasioned them, with other reasons 
that will appear in the course of these pages, led to the 
disturbances that were about to follow. 

Massachusetts had assumed authority at Pawtuxet at 
the suggestion of some of the people there, and on May 
10th, 1643,* appointed a committee to treat with Sacon- 
onoco and Pomham, Sachems of Pawtuxet and Shawo- 
met, in regard to the submission of themselves and their 
lands to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. Those sachems 
appear to have been previously influenced by the dwellers 
at Pawtuxet, and so far became disaffected toward the 
new settlers that they were induced to make submission, 
and even denied having assented to the sale of Shawo- 
met. This extraordinary act was a sufficient pretext for 
Massachusetts to claim jurisdiction over the settlement 
of Warwick, which she accordingly did. Matters now 
were becoming decidedly "mixed." Gorton and his com- 
panions, who supposed they were out of the jurisdiction 
even of Providence and Aquidneck, and where no claim 
of either civilized or Indian parties would interfere with 
them, unless the mother country across the sea should 
be that part)% suddenly found themselves and their lands 
claimed by Massachusetts, from which colony some of 
them had been banished at the peril of their lives. 

Some of the reasons that led to this state of things 
may here be mentioned. Massachusetts had long desired 



Mass Col. r>ec., ii, 35. 



16 HISTORY OF WAEWICK. [1642-48. 



possession of the waters of Narragansett Bay for obvious 
reasons. William, and afterwards his sou, Benedict 
Arnold, had possession of lands whose titles depended upon 
the right of Sacononoco to convey them, or in other 
words depended upon the establishment of the indepen- 
dence ot this sachem. The settlers of Warwick had 
bought their lands of Miantonomi, "chiefe sachem" of 
the Narragansetls, whose right to sell them seems un- 
doubted. Pomham had assented to the sale and affixed 
his "mark" to the deed as a witness. His subsequent 
treatment as an independent sachem by the Massachu- 
setts committee, rather than as a tributary or subordinate 
one, may have flattered his vanity and induced him to 
take the position he now assumed. But with these must 
be mentioned another reason which cannot be overlooked, 
which was the envy and opposition felt by both the 
Massachusetts government and the dwellers at Pawtuxet, 
on account of the peculiar religious views of the Gor- 
tonists and the trouble they had formerly given them. 

William Arnold was born in England, in 15S9. In 1635 we 
find him in Plymouth coLaiy. lie afterwards went to Provi- 
dence with Eoger Williams, where his name appears in Wil- 
liams' first deed He had four children: Benedict, Thomas, 
Stephen, and a daughter who mariiLd Zachary Rhodes. Bene- 
dict was horn in England, December 21, 1615. He married 
Damaris, daughter of iStukely Weslcott, by whom he had the 
following children: Godsgift.'Josias. Benedict, Freelove, Oliver, 
Caleb, Damaris, and Priscilla. Benedict, son of William, re- 
moved to Newport, in 1653. He was president of Aquidneck 
from IG57 to 1(300, and governor vmderthe royal charter several 
years. He died in June^ 1078. His house in Newport stood near 
the spot now occupied by the Union Bank. S;ephen, son of Wil- 
liam, lived and died in Pawtuxet. Thomas settled in iSmith- 
field. Their descendants are among the most numerous in the 
town. Au enthusiastic genealogist of the family traces it back 
in a connected line for twenty-five generations. 

Bobert Coles, one of the '" received '' purchasers of AVarwick, 
purchased the tract of land from Williams, in the vicinity of 
Pawtuxet, which the latter bought of Miantonomi. In 1632 he 
was one of ihe conmiiitee to advise with the Governor and as- 
sistants of Massachusetts about the raising of public stock. He 
resided at that time in Koxbury. Tbe folhnving year we find 
him settled at Ipswich. He was one of the first settlers of 



1642-48.] FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. 17 

Providence, and his name appears in the first deed of Roger 
Williams to his fellow settlers. In 1640 he was one of three 
persons who were appointed by the colony to report a form of 
government, which was adopted, and which remained in force 
until the arrival of the first charter. He subsequently removed 
to Warwick. A deed to his widow, Mary Coles, dated Novem- 
ber, 1655, made by John Coles, indicates that he died previous 
to that date. He had at least three children, one son, John, 
and two daughters, who married Richard and Henry Townsend, 
the latter living at the time of Coles' death at Oyster Bay, Long 
Island, 

In Septemter, 1643,* Massachusetts sent a letter to the 
purchasers of Shawomet containing the complaints and 
submission of the sachems, and requesting them to ap - 
pear at once before the court there, where the plaintiffs 
were then present. They returned a verbal reply by the 
messenger, refusing to appear, denying their jurisdiction, 
and declaring that they were subject only to the Crown 
of England, from Avhich they expected "in due season to 
receive direction for their well-ordering in all civil re- 
spects." A few days after they sent a lengthy letter, 
whichis a marvel of curiousness, dated, " From our Neck, 
Curo, Sept. 15, 1643," and signed by Randall Holden, 
but which bears unmistakable evidence of having been 
written by Gorton. It is directed "-To the great, honored 
and Idol General, now set up in the Massachusetts, 
whose pretended equity in the distribution of justice un- 
to the souls and bodies of men, is nothing else but a mere 
device of man, according to the ancient custom and 
sleights of Satan, transforming himself into an angel of 
light, to subject and mtike slaves of that species or kind 
that God hath honored with his own image." The letter, 
with a postscript of more ttian two printed ] ages long, 
may be found in Vol. 2, R. I. Historical Collections. 
The letter could have produced no other effect upon the 
Massachusetts government than to exasperate it, and ac- 
cordingly a lew days alter that it dispatched another let- 
ter saying, that commissioners, attended with an armed 
guard would soon be sent to obtain satisfaction. The fol- 

* Arnold's Hist, of R. I., i, 178. 

2* 



18 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1042-48. 

lowing week three commissioners, with forty soldiers, 
started for Warwick. They were met on their way by 
a messenger, who bore another letter from the "owners 
and inhabitants of Warwick," warning them upon their 
peril not to invade their town. A reply was returned 
that the commissioners wished to speak with them and 
show them their misdeeds, and lead them to repent, fail- 
ing iu which they should "look upon them as men pre- 
pared for slaughter," and they should act accordingly.* 

This announcement spread, of course consternation, 
throughout the little settlement. They neither liked the 
idea of being "slaughtered" or of submitting to the 
arrogant claims of their enemies. Their foes were near at 
hand and confident in their strength. The women and 
children were hastily sent away, "some to the woods and 
others in boats to gain the neighboring plantations," 
Avhile the men fortified a house and awaited their assail- 
ants. Before making an assault a conference was held 
between the opposing parties, in which four Providence 
men participated, who had accompanied the troops to 
see if they could render assistance in settling the difficul- 
ty. [Simp. Defence, 108.] The commissioners stated 
the charges against the settlers, viz., that they had 
wronged some of the subjects of Massachusetts, and held 
blasphemous errors. That unless they repented of these 
things they must be carried to Boston for trial, or be 
slain where they were. This they declined to do, but 
proposed an appeal to England, which in turn being re- 
fused, they suggested that the dispute be referred to 
arbitration. This occasioned a truce, and a messenger 
was sent to Massachusetts to learn the views of the rulers. 
The four Providence men sent a letter to Governor 
Winthrop in the interests of peace. Tiie reply that was 
returned was unfavorable. They said "it was neither 
seasonable or reasonable, neither safe or honorable for us 
to accept such a proposition." They gave several rea- 
sons, one of which was that the little company "were no 

* Arnokl, I, 100. 



1642-48.] THE SETTLERS UNDER ARREST. 1^ 

State, but a few fugitives living without law or govern- 
ment, and so not honorable for us to join with them in 
such a course." Also that "their blasphemous and revil- 
ing writings, etc., were not matters fit to be compounded 
by arbitrament, but to be purged away only by re- 
pentance and public satisfaction, or ehe by public pun- 
ishment." The commissioners were directed to proceed 
at once. 

All hope of effecting a settlement was now at an end, 
and the little part}^ prepared to defend itself against four 
times its number. The little war commenced. The small 
company of eleven men, one of them not bearing arms, 
hung out the English flag in acknowledgment of their 
allegiance to England, from their extemporized fort, 
which was "riddled by the shot of their assailants." 
The siege lasted several days, and during the time an at- 
tem)jt was made lo burn the building, which failed. 
The besieged fired no shot during the whole time, and it 
does not appear that any one was killed on either side. 
Seeing there was no hope for them against such numbers, 
they hnally agreed upon articles of surrender by which 
they were to go with their assailants "as freemen and 
neighbors" to Boston. They went, however, as prison- 
ers, and on their arrival at Boston were committed to jail 
to await their trial. Their captors also took with them 
'eighty head of cattle besides swine and goates, which 
they divided among themselves." * Thus, before two 
years had elapsed, the purchasers of Warwick, with the 
exception of Sampson Shot ten, who had died, found them- 
selves in a Boston prison and their families dispersed, 
they knew not ^Yhere. 

On the Sabbath following their reception in Boston, 
the prisoners were required to attend church, to listen, 
as ihey suf)posed, to a sermon from Mr. Cotton for their 
special edification. They declined to attend unless they 
could be permitted to speak after the sermon if they 

* The first cattle, a bull and threelieifers, were brought to Plymouth 
iu March, l(;2i, by Edward VVinslow. Prince's Annals, p. 225. 



20 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642-48 

should desire. This hberty was promised them, for what 
reason it is difficult to determine, unless it was to increase 
the amount of evidence against them and give the 
people an opportunity to witness their behavior, as the 
magistrates would not have hesitated to compel their 
attendance. The minister "preached at them about 
Demetrius and the shrines of Ephesus, after which Gor- 
ton, leave being granted, replied, somewhat varying the 
application of the text, to the great scandal of his 
hearers." 

On the Tuesday following, 'Oct. 17, 1643, the pris- 
oners were brought before the court on the charge of 
heresy and sedition, as follows : " Upon much examina- 
tion and serious consideration of your writings, with 
your answers about them, wee do charge you to bee a 
blasphemous enemy of the tiue religion of our tord 
Jesus Christ and His Holy ordinances, and also of all civil 
authority among the people of God, and particularly in 
this jurisdiction." * 

In " Simplicitie's Defence," Gorton menticins the fol- 
lowing questions which the magistrates proposed to him, 
and required his answer " speedily upon life or death," 
in writing : 

"1. Whether the Fathers, who died before Christ was born 
of the Yirgiu Mary, were justified and saved only by the blood 
which he shed and the death which he suffered after his iucar- 
nation. 

2. Whether the only price of our redemption were not the 
death of Christ upon the cross, with the rest of his sutie.rings 
and obedience in the time of his life here, after he was born of 
the Vu'gin Mary. 

3. Who is that God whom he thinks we serve? 

4. What he means when he saith "We worship the star of 
our god Remphan, Chion, Moloch.' " 

Gorton was fully self-possessed, and gave his answers 
in a lengthy and mystical communication, which must 
have required the combined sagacity of his judges to 
comprehend. Indeed, at this age, the whole trial, in- 

* This was the charge against Gorton; those against the others were 
essentially the same. 



1642-18.] IN PRISON. ^1 



eluding the course of the judges, their questions, the 
answers returned and the sentences pronounced, is a 
curious commentary upon the spirit of that age. The 
court was divided. All but three of the magistrates 
condemned Gorton to death, but a majority of the depu- 
ties refused to sanction the sentence. Finally, he and 
six others were sentenced to be confined in irons during 
the pleasure of the court, and should they Joreak jail, or 
preach their heresies, or speak against the church or 
State, on conviction, they should die. They were sepa- 
rated and sent in chains to different towns near by — 
Gorton to Charlestown, AVeston to Dorchester, Holden 
to Salem, Potter to Rowley, Wicks to Ipswich, (harder 
to Roxbury, and Warner remained in Boston. Waddell 
was allowed to remain at large at Wateftown ; Water- 
man was fined and released, after giving bonds to appear 
at the next court, but was afterwards arrested and im- 
prisoned. Power was dismissed with an admonition, 
and Greene had managed to escape during the siege. * 

But little is known of Nicholas Power. His name does not 
occur among the early lists of inhsibitants. When the rest of 
the settlers "were sentenced by the Massachusetts court, he 
" was dismissed with an admonition." He died in Providence, 
August 25, 1657, leaving a widow Jane, a son Nicholas, and a 
daughter Hope. The son married Kel^ecca, daughter of Zach- 
ary lihodes. Ten years after his death, the Town Council of 
Providence made a will for him (he dying intestate), in order, 
as they say, " that we may prevent dilferences before they be- 
gin." The tradition is that Nicholas, Jr., was killed in the In- 
dian war in 1675-6. 

Francis Weston was admitted a freeman in Massachusetts in 
November, 1633. He was one of the deputies from Salem to 
the General Court in 1634. He died previous to June 4, 1645,. 
of consumption contracted " through cold and hardships " at 
this time. 

William Waddel was a resident in Boston in 1637, when he 
was disarmed, with fifty-seven others, among whom was llich- 
ard Carder. His name does not occur in the records subse- 
quently. 

The}'' were confined during the whole winter and 
until the following March, when by an act of the Gene- 

* Foi" Gov, Winthrop's account of the trial, see Sav. Winthrop, Vol. 
II, p. 142. 



22 HISTORY OF WAKWICK. [1042-48. 

ral Court they were set at liberty and banished out of 
the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, and from the Rhode 
Island Plantations. Fourteen days were given them to 
remove, and if found after that time within the specified 
limits they were to suffer death. They were subse- 
quently ordered to leave Boston in two hours. They 
started at once for their deserted homes at Shawomet, 
staying there» however, but one night, and then went to 
the island of Aquidneck, probably in search of their 
families. Not feeling certain whether their own lands 
in Warwick were included within the prescribed limits, 
they wrote to Gov. Winthrop, and were informed that 
they were, and they were ordered to leave them at 
once on peril of their lives. They were kindly received 
at Aquidneck, and resided there till after the charter to 
the colony was received in 1644, when it appears they 
returned and resumed their residence at Shawomet. 
The full account of the arrest and trial may be found in 
Arnold's History of Rhode Island. Gorton's own ac- 
count of the matter is given in his " Simplicitie's De- 
fence," the manuscript of which, owned by John Holden, 
Esq., of Old Warwick, is at present in the archives of 
the R. L Historical Society. 

During this time an event occurred, the account of 
which will awaken only feelings of sadness in the minds 
of Rhode Islanders. The brave and noble young king of 
the Narragansetts, Miantonomi, was put to death by Uncas, 
sachem of the Mohegans, at the instigation of the Com- 
missioners of the colonies. The circumstances are briefly 
these : A quarrel had arisen between Uncas and Se- 
quasson, a sachem on Connecticut river, who was a 
relative of Miantonomi. The latter took the part of his 
relative and was taken prisoner. "A heavy suit of 
armor, which Gorton had lent him it is said embarrassed 
his motions" and led to his capture. Uncas conferred 
with the white commissioners as to what should be done 
with him. They decided that he should be put to death 
and ordered Uncas to execute the sentence. It is sup- 
posed on good authority that a principal reason that led 
to this decision on the part of the United Commissiou- 



1642-48.] EFFECT UPON THE INDIANS. 23 

ers, was because Miantonomi had sold the lands of 
Shawomet to Gorton and his heterodox companions. 
Other reasons, however, were assigned. They buried 
him at the place of his execution in the east part of 
Norwich, Ct, known as Sachem's Plain. He was a true 
friend to Roger Williams, Gorton, and the other settlers, 
and both he and his uncle Canonicus " were the best 
friends and greatest benefactors the colony ever had." * 

The return of the settlers to their deserted planta- 
tions, after their forcible abduction and imprisonment, 
favorably impressed the Indians of their importance. 
Their own failure to effect the release of their honored 
and beloved sachem, even by the great ransom which 
they offered, and the violent and cruel death to 
which the United Commissioners of the colonies had 
condemned him, had led them to expect a like fate 
for the Warwick colonists. They had heard also 
numerous rumors that they were either to be put to 
death or be kept as slaves. The}^, therefore, con- 
cluded that there must be some power behind the 
little band that kept their enemies from executing their 
threats. Gorton says, "The Indians called the English 
in their tongue Wattaconoges [those who wear clothes 
or coat men.] They now called us Gortonoges, and 
being that they had heard of a great war to be in Old 
England, they presently framed unto them a cause of 
our deliverance, imagining that there were two kinds of 
people in Old England, the one called by the name of 
Englishmen and the other Gortonoges ; and concluded 
that the Gortonoges were a mightier people than the 
English, whom they called Wattaconoges, and therefore 
the Massachusetts thought it not safe to take away our 
lives, because, however few there were of us in New 
England in comparison with those who came out against 
us, yet that great people in old England would come 
over and put them to death if they should take away 
our lives.'' f 

* R. T. Hist. Soc. Col. Vol. HI. 
t Sirnplicitie';-: Detetice. 



24 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642-48. 



The sachems of the Narragansetts, after a consulta- 
tion among themselves, soon sent for the " Gortonoges" 
to visit them, which they did in April, I6i4. They were 
received with demonstrations of gladness by the venera- 
ble old sachem, Canonicus and Pessicus, the brother 
and successor of Miantonomi. A council consisting of 
" divers sachems and chief counselors " was called to 
confer with their visitors. The Indians were disheart- 
ened. They said " they had not only lost their sachem, 
so beloved among them and such an instrument of their 
public good, but had utterly impoverished themselves by 
paying such a ransom for his life, as they then made us 
an account of, notwithstanding his life was taken away, 
and that detained also." The result of the council was, 
that they concluded to submit themselves and their 
lands to the government of England, and they ap- 
pointed Samuel Gorton, John Wickes, Randall llolden 
and John Warner as their " commissioners in trust for 
the safety, custody and conveyance of their act and deed 
unto the State of England." * 

.John Wickes, in 1G37, was a resident of Plymoutli Colony, 
where he aud his wife embraced the religious views of Mr. 
Gorton. On June 20th, 1039, he was received as an inhabitant 
of Aquidneck, where, with Eandall Iloldeu, Ilichard Carder, 
Samson Sliotten, and Robert Potter, he came in collision with 
the authorities. He subsequently filled the offices of Town 
Deputy, Assistant, &c. He was slain by the Indians during 
Philiij's war. Callender says he was " a very ancient man." 
The circumstances of his death will be referred to on a subse- 
quent page. 

Pandail llolden was one of the most conspicuous men in the 
early colonial history, the larger portion of his life being spent 
in otiices of various grades. lie was born in Salisbury, Eng- 
land, lloger Williams and he were the witnesses to the deed 
of Rhode Island, given by Canonicus and Minutonomi, March 
24, 16.3S. On March 16, 1642, he was disfrancliised with several 
others at Aquidneck, but for what cause it is not stated. He 
was elected Marshal of the Colon3\ His children were Ran- 
dall, who married Betly Waterman; Charles, who married 
■Catherine Greene; Mary, M'ho married John, the son of Rich- 



* A copy of the deed signed by Pessicus, Canonicus and his son 
Mixam, and duly witiies ed, may be found in Vol. II., K. I. Hist. Col. 



1642-48.] DEED OF SHAWOMET. 25 

ard Carder; Elizabeth, who married John Rice; Sarah, who 
married Joseph Stait'ord; Margaret, who married John 
Eldridge; Susanna, who married Jienjamin Greene; Bai'bara, 
who married Samuel Wickham, and Frances, who married John 
Holmes. His descendants are very numerous in the State. 

Samuel Gorton and Randall Holden, accompanied by 
John Greene, sailed for England from New York in the 
same year (1644), but the exact date is unknown. Staples 
and Mackie think it was in the summer, while Gov. 
Arnold, on what appears good authoiity, thinks it was 
during the following winter. Beside the commissions 
from the native chiefs, they had other reasons for wishing 
a voyage to the mother country. Massachusetts claim- 
ing the lands of Shawomet, had warned all persons from 
occupying them without permission from the General 
Court. The two subordinate chiefs thinking themselves in 
danger had applied to Massachusetts for protection, and 
an officer and ten soldiers had been sent to assist Puraham 
to build a fort and remain with them until the danger 
was over.* The Warwick land had been given to thir- 
ty-two petitioners, on condition that " ten families 
should take possession within one year." Even the 
houses of the settlers Avere granted to the petitioners on 
certain conditions. It does not appear that they ever 
took possession of them, however, which is attributed 
to the bold and generous position taken by John Brown, 
a magistrate of Plymouth, who prohibited it. There 
was therefore need that a better understanding should 
be had with the home government in regard to their 
rights and the vexations to which they were subjected. 

On their arrival in England, the commissioners pre- 
sented the act of submission of the Indians, and also 
their own memorial against the colony of Massachusetts 
to the government. In this latter paper tliey complain 

* Tradition locates this fort on tlie east bank of WarwicK Cove, near- 
ly opposite the Oalcland Beach grounds on the estate of John Hoklen, 
Esq. What are supposed to be the remains of it may still be seen 
there. It would command the entrance to ihe cove; while in ilie rear 
thereissaid to have been an almost impenetrable marshy ttjicked to 
protect it f torn that direction. 



26 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1642-48. 

of their " violent and injurious expulsion from Sliawo- 
met,'' and other evil treatment to which they had been 
subject. The whole matter was duly considered and 
the object of their mission was successfully accom- 
plished. The acquaintance formed by the commission- 
ers with the leading men in the Knglish government at 
this time, was destined to be of service in the negotia- 
tions of subsequent years. 

The memorial was subsequently sent by the Eng- 
lish Commissioners of Foreign Plantations to Massachu- 
setts, enclosed with their order relative to Gorton and 
his company. This order informed the magistrates that 
they held the Avhole matter in abeyance until such time 
as they should be able to make their defense, aixl in the 
meantime they were required " to suffer the petitioners 
and all the late inhabitants of Narragansett Bay, with 
their families and all such as may hereafter join them, 
freely and quietly to live and plant upon Shawomet and 
such other parts of the said tract of lands within the 
bounds mentioned in our said charter on which they 
have formerly planted and lived, Avithout extending your 
jurisdiction to any part thereof, or otherwise disquieting 
them in their consciences or civil peace, or interrupting 
them in their possession until such time as we shall have 
received your answer to your claim in point of title, and 
you shall thereupon have received our farther order 
therein." They were also required to remove any per- 
sons who had taken possession of the Shawomet lands 
by their authority, if there were such, and to permit the 
petitioners to pass through their territory without moles- 
tation to their own lands, a provision which they af- 
terwards found of importance. A copy of this order, 
dated May 15, 1646, with the correspondence and final 
conclusions in the matter, may be found in Gov. 
Winthrop's Journal, and also in Staples', and forms an 
important portion of the history of the town. 

Thus far the commissioners had reason to congratulate 
themselves upon the success of their mission. They had 
found a friend in the Earl of Warwick, Governor-in- 



1642 --48.] TOWN CALLED WARWICK. 27 

chief of Foreign Plantations, whom they subsequently 
honored by bestowing his name ujDon their settlement. 

Randall Holden returned home, landing in Boston, 
Sept. loth, 1646. He brought with him the order of 
the English commissioners and delivered it to the Massa- 
chusetts authorities. After some hesitation lie was 
allowed to land and to pass through the State to his 
home at Shawomet. Gorton still remained in England 
to watch the course of events until 1648, when he also 
returned and landed at Boston, May 10th of that year. 
The General Court of Massachusetts was then in session, 
and promptly passed an order for his apprehension. But 
Gorton, perhaps anticipating such an event, w\as pre- 
pared for it, having secured a letter of protection from 
the Earl of Warwick previous to his' departure from 
England. The [irovision in the communication from the 
English commissioners to Aiassachusetts, which Holden 
brought over and which secured him i'rom arrest on his 
landing, was not considered sufficient to shield Gorton, 
although the language was very explicit in regard to that 
matter ; but upon his producing the letter from the Earl 
of Warwick, the order of the Court was revoked by the 
casting vote of the Governor, and a week was given him 
to leave the State. It will be remembered that they 
both had been banished from the State and were not to 
be found within its limits after a certain specified time, 
under j)ain of death. 

Upon the reception of the order of the English com- 
missioners by Massachusetts, brought by Holden, 
Edward Winslow, was sent to England as her com- 
missioner to attend to affairs, bearing a lengthy answer 
to the Warwick memorial."" They say in their answer, 
"It appears to us by the said order that we are conceived, 
1st, to have transgressed our limits by sending soldiers to 
fetch Gorton, &c., out of Shawomet in the Narragansett 
Bay ; 2d, that we have either exceeded or abused our 
authority in banishing them out of our jurisdiction when 

*Both the commission of Mr. Winslow and the answer to the War- 
wick memorial may be founii in "Winthrop's Jonrnal." 



28 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [164-2-48. 

they were in onr power." The discussion of those 
points formed the principal portion of tlie commu- 
nication. 

The result of Mr. Winslows mission is given by Gov. 
Winthrop, which is substantially as follows : " Upon his 
arrival in England a day was appointed for him to meet 
the Committee on Foreign Plantations, and Gorton also 
appeared by request to defend the settlers of this town. 
The discussion was chiefly upon the matter of jurisdiction. 
The defence of Massachusetts, as set forth in their reply, 
was 1st, that they were under the jurisdiction of Plymouth 
or Connecticut, and so the orders of the Commissioners 
of the United Colonies had left them to us ; 2d, the 
Indians upon whose lands they dwelt had subjected 
themselves and their lands to our government." The 
English commissioners were still undecided, and re- 
afhrmed goierally their former order, but said, " If it 
shall appear that the said tract is within the limits of 
any of the New England patents, we shall leave the same 
and the inhabitants thereof to the pro^oer jurisdiction of 
that government under which they shall fall." But 
they further said that inasmuch as " the petitioners have 
transplanted their families thither and there settled their 
residences at great charge, we commend it to the govern- 
ment within whose jurisdiction they shall appear to be 
(as our desire at present in this matter,) not only not to 
remove them from their plantations, but also to encour- 
age them with protection and assistance in all fit ways." 

This communication was dated July 22d, 1647, and a 
copy sent to both jNIassachusetts and Connecticut. The 
point of jurisdiction thus remained unsettled, and the 
controversy was prolonged for more than thirty years. 

It afterward became involved, as we shall see, in the 
greater dispute arising from the subjection of the Narra- 
gansett Indians and their lands to England, which virtu- 
ally annexed them to Rhode Island. • 

But the settlers at Shawomet had gained one important 
point which was of great benefit. Their opponents were 
virtually instructed to let them alone, which, however, 



1642-45.] MASSACHUSETTS versus WARWICK. 29 

contained the proviso — an important one where such 
spirits as Gorton were concerned — that the settlers "de- 
mean themselves peacefnlly and not endanger any of the 
English colonies by a prejudicial correspondency with the 
Indians or otherwise ; wherein if they shall be found 
faulty, we leave them to be proceeded with according to 
justicQ." 

In passing judgment upon the course of Massachusetts 
in her treatment of the early settlers of this town, we 
must take into consideration not only the ground of her 
claims to civil jurisdiction over this territory', but also the 
wide difference in the religious sentiments of the two col- 
onies as well as the previous relations subsisting between 
their inhabitants. At the time, Massachusetts had a 
government regularly established by virtue of a charter 
fj'om the English crown, while Rhode Island had none. 
The. principle upon which she claimed jurisaiction out of 
the bounds of her patent, was that of the submission of 
the inhabitants with their lands to her government. A 
respectable minority at Providence, on Nov. 17, 1641, 
had been constrained, as we have already seen, to ask 
her assistance against Gorton and his companions, and in 
1642 four persons of that town had submitted themselves 
and their lands to her jurisdiction. Several persons at 
Pawtuxet had done the same for similar reasons. Pom- 
ham and Sacononoco had also done the same, and the for- 
mer had repudiated the sale of Shawomet. Gorton and 
his companions had already, while residing in Massiichu- 
setts, given the authorities trouble, and after coming here 
had manifested the same restless and independent spirit 
— to use no stronger terms — and had openly defied Jier. 
All these matters are to be duly weighed in making up 
our judgment in the case. She failed to establish her 
claim of jurisdiction, but exercised the right of might, 
which, under the provocations, was natural though un- 
justifiable. In her estimation the little band was "no 
State," but a company of heretics, whose heresies and 
"insolencies" were not to be condoned, but to be purged 
by punishments. That she was severe in her judgments 
-3 



30 HISTCjKY of WARWICK. [1642-48. 

is ndmitled, that she was shicere in her convictions will 
not be denied. 

The first meeting of the General Assembly of Rhode 
Island and Providence Plantations was held in Ports- 
mouth, on the 19th of March, 1G47, to formally adopt the 
charter, and organize a government under it. The 
towns of Providence, Newport and. Portsmouth are alone 
mentioned in the charter, but after its temporary organi- 
zation "it was agreed that Warwick should have the 
same privileges as Providence." Randall Holden was 
the Assistant from Warwick, an office corresponding to 
that of State Senator at the present day. The mode of 
passing general laws, was then prescribed, and various 
laws enacted. Six men from each town were to be an- 
nually chosen b}^ each town to represent it in the Assem- 
bly.* 

The first writing bearing a date on the records pre- 
served in the archives of the town, is in the following 
words : — 

"Having now received ye orders (this 8tli da}' of August.) from 
ye general recorder wee have chosen 3'e Town Couusill, being 
a generall Assemblie order." John Greene, Ezekiel Ilolliman, 
John Warner, Rufus Barton, John Wickes and Randall Holden, 
Town Council; Rufus Barton and John Wickes, magistrates; 
John Warner, clerk; Henry Townsend, Constable, and Chris- 
toplier Helme, sergeant. 

Christopher Helme was one of llie " received" inhabitants of 
"Warwick. On the 23d of January 104'J he was disfranchised 
" for going about to undermine ihe liberties of the town." The 
censure was subsequently removed and he resided in town till 
his death. He left a son William. 

John Greene, the founder of the family in this country, came 
from Salisbury, in England, but at what precise date is un- 
known. He was the son of Peter Greene, and was born Feb- 
ruary 9, 159G-7. By profession he was a surgeon. He first set- 
tled in Massachusetts, but subsequently removed to Providence, 
where his name appears as fifth in Roger Williams' first deed. 
Bis wife, five sous and one daughter accompanied him. He 
afterwards returned to Boston, where he soon became involved 
in some difliculty with the magistrates, as was the case with 
nearly all the original settlers of Rhode Island. Having been 

* Colonial Ilecords, Vol. I, pp. 143. 149. 



1642-48.] JOHN GREENE. 31 



examined before the court he was fined £20, and banished from 
the state. Upon his '' submission," his fine was remitted, but 
he returned to Providence, where '' he retracted his submission 
by letter and charged the magistrates with usurping Ihe jjower 
of Christ in his church, and with persecution toward WilUams." 
From this circumstance we infer that the trouble was of a 
religious nature. 

John Greene seem? to have preferred a residence in a state 
where there were no witches to be hung, and where the utmost 
liberty was allowed in religious matters, and here he took up 
his permanent abode and became one of the leading men in the 
colony. In 1644, on the submission of the I>Jarragansett In- 
dians, he went to England with Gorton and Holden, as agents 
to look after the interests of both the Indians and his own towns- 
men. In 1647 he was appointed one of the committee of ten 
to organize the Colonial Government under the Parliamentary 
charter. He was appointed several times a General Assistant. 
He lived and died at Occupasnetuxet, now known as Spring 
Green, or the Gov. Francis estate. 

John Greene had three wives ; the first, Joane Tatersalle, 
whom he married Nov. 4, 1619; the second, Alse Daniels, of 

Providence; and the third, Phillip of London. He died 

betAveen Dec. 28, 1658, and Jan. 7, 1659. He had six children, 
who were baptized as per register of l^t. Thomas Church, Salis- 
bury, Eng., as follows: John, Aug. 15, 1620; Peter, March 10, 
1621-2; James, June 21, 1626; Thomas, June 4, 1628; Joane, 
Oct. 3, 1630 ; Mary. May 19, 1633. His will, which was witnessed 
by John Wickes and Anthony Low, bears the date of Dec. 28, 
1G5S. In it he gave to his '• beloved wife Philip Greene yt part 
of buildinge, being all new ei'ected and containing A large hall 
and Chimui with A Little chamber joining to the hall as also a 
large chamber Avith a little chamber Avithin yt, Avitli a large gar- 
ret Avith a Little dary room Avhich buttes against ye oule house, 
to enioy deuring her life; allso I give unto her half ye orchard; 
allso I gi\'e unto her my Lott adjoining to ye orchard together 
Avith ye SAvamp Avhich the Towne granted me." After some 
other bequests to his Avife, he gaA^e to his ^n John the neck of 
land called Occupasnetuxet, Avith an adjoining meadoAV and a 
small island, all of Avhich he says he bought of Miantonomi. 
To his other children he bequeathed oilier tracts of land includ- 
ing his portion of the WarAvick purchase, and appointed his 
Avile sole executrix of the Aviil. 

The tOAvn Avas now duly organized, with a government 
which the settlers, rigid constructionists as they were, be- 
lieved was legally derived and qualified to act in all mat- 
ters necessary to the mutual protection and prosperity of 
its inhabitants. The General Assembly Avith commenda- 



S-2 HISTOKY OF WARWICK. [1642-48. 

ble "wisdom and promptness, enacted a code ot laws 
adapted to the condition of the colony, and which "for 
simplicity of diction, unencumbered as it is by the super- 
fluous verbiage that clothes our modern statutes in learned 
obscurity : tor breadth of comprehension, embracing as 
it does the foundation of the whole body of law, on every 
subject which has since been adopted ; and for vigor and 
originahty of thought and boldness of expression, as well 
as for the vast significance and the brilliant triumph of 
the principles it embodies, presents a model of legislation 
Avhich has never been surpassed."* 

COPY or THE TOWN CIIAKTEII. 

"Whereas by virtue of a free and absolute Charter of civill in- 
coriioraiiou, granted to the free inhabitants of this Collony or 
Province by the right honourable Robert Earle of VVarwicke 
Governovif in Chiefe with the rest of the honourable Commis- 
sioners, bearing date the fourteenth day of March in the year one 
thousand .six hundred and forty three, giviuge and grantinge 
full power and authority unto the sayd inhabitants lo govern 
themselves and such others as shall come among them; as also 
to make, constitute, and ordeyne such lawes, orders, and con- 
stitutions, and to inflict such punishments and penalties, as is 
conformable to the Laws of England, so neare as the nature 
and constitution of the place will admit; and which may best 
suit the estate and condition there: and whereas the sayd towns 
of Providence, Puitsmouth, Newport and Warwick are far re- 
mote each trum other whereby so olten and tree intercourse 
of helpe in desidinge of differences and trying of causes and 
the like, cannot easily and at all times be had and ijrocured as 
in this kind is requisitt; Therefore, and upon the petition and 
humble request of the Ireemea of the Towne of Warwicke ex- 
hibited unto tiiis present session of General Assembly, wherein 
they desire freeduni^nd liberty, to incorporate themselves into 
a body politicke etc. Wee the sayd Assembly havinge duly 
weighed and seriously considered the premises and being wil- 
linge and ready to provide tor the ease and liberty of the people 
have thought tit and by the authorite aforesaid aud by these 
presents doe give, grant, consigue and confirm this present 
charter to the sayd inhabitants of the Town of Warwick, allow- 
inge, orderinge aud hereby authorizing them or themaior part 
of them from time to time to transact all such Town afayers 
as shall fall within the verge, liberties aud precincts of the 

*Aruold, Vol. I. 



1642-4S.] TOWN CHARTER. 33 



sayd town; and also to make and constitute such particular 
orders, penalties and officers as may best suite Avith the Consti- 
tution ot said Towne and Townshippe for the well ordering and 
governinge thereofe ; provided the sayd lawes constitutions and 
punishments for the civil government thereofe be conform- 
able to xhe Jjawes of England, so far as the nature and consti- 
tution of that town will admit; and to that end we doe authorize 
them to erect a Court of Justice and do give them i^ower to ex- 
ecute such particular orders and penalties, and so many of the 
common lawes agreed in the Generall, and their penalties as 
are not annexed already to the General Court of Tryalls; and 
further we do hereby order the sayd town to elect and engage 
all such officers as shall be necessary for the propagation 
of Justice and judgment therein, upon the fiist Monday 
in the month of June annually forever hereafter: shail 
engadge them in fidelity to maintaine the honor, crown and 
dignity of the State of England as loyal subjects thereofe to 
the utmost of their power, the liberties and freedom of this 
Collony and the privileges of the town wherein they bear office, 
and further wee do hereby invest and authorize the sayd officers 
so elected and engaged with full power to transact in the prem- 
ises and in so doiuge shall be hereby secured and indemnified. 
Given at Portsmouth at the General Assemblv, there held 
this 14th of March anno. 1648. 

JOHX WARNER, 

Clerk of the Assembly. 

Copia Vera sicut attestat Joiiaxn'es Gueexio, Secritarius 
ex civitate Warwick. 



34 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1G48-63. 



CHAPTER III. 

From the granting of the Town Charter in 1G4S, to the adoption 
of the Royal Charter by the B. I. Colony in November, 1()G3. 

The earliest records of the town preserved in the 
Clerk's office reach back to the appointment ot its first 
officers in 1(547, or about five years subsequent to the 
original purchase of the lands from the Indians. Some 
items without date appear to have been written at an ear- 
lier period. The ancient volume containing them (now 
before me) is about ten inches square by two inches 
thick. It contains the history of the town from the 
adoption of the charter in 1647 down to 1668. The vol- 
ume was used for several purposes. The first fifty pages 
(less than one-fourth of the whole number) contain the 
records of the town council in stenography ; the upper 
half of each page being used, leaving the lower half 
blank ; It may have been the intention to use the lower 
parts for a translation of the upper at a then future time. 
This was not done, however, and eventually the blanks 
were appropriated for diiferent purposes, as for instance, 
the record of the "ear marks" of cattle, some of the 
records being made as late as the year 1814. Following 
the records of tlie council are those of the town meetings, 
lawsuits, transfer of real estate, and all the Indian deeds 
subsequent to 1642. The thirteenth leaf of this portion 
of the book was torn out by order of the town when 
Charles 2d of England ascended the throne. It con- 
tained the act of submission to the Commonwealth under 
Cromwell. Apart of the fourteenth leat is also gone, 



1648-63.] TOWN RECORDS. 35 

but the remaining half, containing what appear to be the 
autographs of the original and "received" purchasers of 
the town, some thirty in number, still remains. The 
leaf is torn obliquely, leaving a portion of eight or ten 
lines of the "submission.'' The records are almost illegi- 
ble from the peculiar penmanship, fading of the ink, mode 
of spelling, and the natural wear of over two hundred 
and thirty-five years, and many of the leaves are detached 
from the binding. The volume should be carefully 
repaired and sacredly preserved in the town archives. 

In 1860, the town appointed Messrs. William Carder 
and Henry L. Greene a committee to transcribe this old 
volume, at an expense not exceeding $300. They em- 
ployed Henry Rousmaniere, Esq., to perform the work, 
and subsequently reported to the town that it had been 
performed in a satisfactory manner. Some portions of 
the record that were not deemed important were omitted 
in the transcript. It would have been better to have 
copied the whole, and to have had the pages of the tran- 
script correspond with those of the original. 

John Warner was the first town clerk under the char- 
ter, and the penmanship of the earlier portion of the old 
volume corresponds with that of his autographic signa- 
ture attached to the "act of submission." 

Some of the town laws enacted during the first year of 
the chartered government are of a somewhat novel char- 
acter, and throw light upon the condition of things at 
the time. They are not always expressed with that pre- 
cision that marks the statutes of the present day, but 
they harmonize with the mode of thought and expres- 
sion of that time. Here are a couple passed by the town : 
" Wee conclud that Towne meeting [council meeting?] 
to bee held ye first Monday in every moonth, and that 
ye Clarke is to have 2s. 6d. for each day of meeting." 
And " That by maior consent or ye whole Towne, it is 
ordered that if 12 Townsmen meet in one day appointed 
for Towne meeting, they shall have power to act in 
Towne affairs as though all were j^resent." 

At the first General Assembly it was " ordered that 



36 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63, 

the Coiirte of Election shall always be held upon the 
first Tuesday after tlie 15th of May annually if wind or 
weather hinder not." Also "that none shall goe 
out of the courte without leave ; or if any do depart he 
shall leave his vote behind him, that his power remain 
though his pert^on be absent." That " all ye inhabitants 
in each Towne shall choose their military officers from 
among themselves on the first Tuesday after the 12th of 
March ; and that eight severall times in the yeare, the 
Bands of each plantation or Towne shall, openlie in the 
field be exercised and disciplined by their Commanders 
and Ofhcers." 

Here is one to provide for sudden attacks from the In- 
dians or other enemies : " It is ordered that in regard to 
ye many incursions that we are subject unto, and that an 
Alarum for ye giving of notice thereof is necessary when 
occasion is offered, it is agreed that this form be observed, 
vidg't: Three muskets distinctly discharged, and a Her- 
ald appointed to go speedily threw the Towne, and crie 
Alarum ! Ahirum ! and the drum to beat incessantly ; 
upon which all nre to repaire (upon forfeiture as the 
Towne Councill shall order) unto tlie Towne House ther 
to receive information of the Town Councill what is far- 
ther to be done." 

The colonists were not in favor of curtain lectures, and 
made the following law for their protection, Avhether ap- 
plicable to both sexes or not, does not appear : " It is or- 
dered, Common Scoulds shall be punished with the 
Duckinge Stoole." Witchcraft was punishable with 
death. 

To provide for the common defence, it was enacted 
that " that statute touching Archerie shall be revived 
and propagated throwout the whole Colonic ; and that 
every person from the age of seventeen yeares to the age 
of seventy, that is not lame, debilitated in body or other- 
wise exempted by the Colonic, shall have a Bow and 
four arrowes and shall use and exercise shooting ; and 
every Father having Children, shall provide for every 
man-child from the age of seven years, till he come to 



1648-63.] MAREIAGE LAWS. 37 

seventeen yeares, a Bow and two Arrowes or shafts to 
induce them, and to bring them up to shooting." 

Marriage was regarded as a civil contract between the 
parties, and could only be legally contracted by " such 
as are in the first place with the parents, then orderly 
published in two severall meetings of the Townsmen 
and lastly confirmed before the head ofScer of the 
Towne, and entered into the Towne clerk's Booke." 
The following is a copy of a marriage recorded in the 
town clerk's office in the earliest book of records : 

" Gabriell Hike having obtained the good will and approba- 
tyon of Mr. William Arnold together with the neighbors of 
Patuxit for the taking of Mary Perry for his wedded wife; they 
beiug instead of parents unto her, as also bestowing a portion 
unto him with her; did desire me, Henry Reddocke, town 
clerke of Warwick, they being both in town, to publisb them, 
which 1 accordingly did twise in the town meeting, the first of 
March 1657 and the 2d of March '57; divers neighbors being at 
the wedding house, I the clerke was sent for and there in the 
audience of twentie or thirlie persons, I published them the 
3d lime; and in view of the aforesayd neighbors, the said Ga- 
briell Hike did take unto him the aforesaid Mary Perry for his 
wedded wife." 

To provide for any failure of the town to choose their 
representatives to the General Assembly, it was "ordered 
that six men of each Towne shall be chosen, in whom ye 
General Court shall continue; and each Towne here 
shall have the choice of their men if they please ; or if 
any Towne refuse, the Court shall choose them for them ; 
if any else beside will tarry, they may whose help is de- 
sired." 

The desire for office manifested in our day does not 
seem to have been quite as strong in the early histoiy of 
the colony, when it was regarded rather as a burden than 
an honor. At a meeting of the General Assembly, held 
in this town May 22d, 1649, at which John Smith, of 
Warwick, was chosen President of the colony for that 
year, it was " ordered, that if a President elected, shall 
refuse to serve in that Generall Office, that then he shall 
pay a fine of ten pounds. And the Generall Assistant 



38 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63. 

that refiiseth to serve after having been chosen shall pay 
a fine of five pounds.'' Smith refused to serve, and also 
Samuel Gorton, who was chosen the same year General 
Assistant for Warwick, and they were both fined, but 
their fines were subsequently remitted. At a subsequent 
year (1659) a prospective election was graciously pro- 
vided for in behalf of Randall Holde'n in the following : 
" It is ordered that Mr. Randall Houlden if he be chosen 
the next yeare to Generall Office shall not then be com- 
pelled to serve against his will, butt freed without pay- 
inge fine, which is graunted upon his request, having 
fowned a burden in servinge for severall yeares together." 
At the present day there are usually several who would 
prefer to accept the gubernatorial office rather than pay 
a heavy fine, an evidence, perhaps, of the superior, self- 
ignoring patriotism of the present age. 

The venerable Canonicus, chief sachem of the Narra- 
gansetts, died June 4, 1649. In the deed or act of sub- 
mission of his tribe to the government of England in 
1644, he is styled " that ancient Canonicus, Protector of 
that late deceased Miantonomy during the time of his 
non-age." In relation to his ancestors, the Indians held 
a tradition that there existed formerly a chieftain more 
powerful than any of their day, whose name was Tash- 
tassuck. He had two children, a son and a daughter, 
whom he could not match in dignity outside of his own 
family, and so he married them to each other. Their is- 
sue was four sons, of whom Canonicus was the eldest.* 
He had been the chief of his tribe many years, and at 
the time of the first settlement of the colony was held in 
high esteem by his people and the new settlers. Roger 
Williams, who understood the Indian character, and was 
intimate with many of the principal chiefs of New Eng- 
land, and was probably the most influential white man 
in the country with them, speaks of him in his Key as 
" the old high Sachem of Nariganset Bay (a wise and 
peaceable prince)." He says that "once in a solemn 

* Hutchingson's, Mass., i, 458. 



1648-63.] DEATH OF CANONICUS. 39 

oration to myself in a solemn assembly using the word 
wunnaumwayean (if he speak true,) said, I have never 
suffered any wrong to be offered to the English since 
they landed, nor never will ; he often repeated the 
word if the Englishman speak true, if he meane truly, 
then shall I go to my grave in peace and hope that the 
English and my posterity shall live in peace together." 
" Their late famous loug-lived Canonicus so lived and 
died, and in the same most honorable manner and so- 
lemnity (in their way) as you laid to sleep your pru- 
dent peacemaker Mr. Winthiop, did they honor this 
their prudent and peaceable prince." * 

With the Warwick colonists he was on terms of peace 
and friendship, which resulted at times in serious dis- 
advantage to himself and his people. I find no in- 
stance mentioned in the several accounts of contempo- 
rary writers where his fidelity was questioned. And 
for the honor of the Warwick settlers it may be said, 
that though he had reason to suspect the motives of the 
white men generally, he seemed to regard those of this 
town as worthy of confidence. Thus passed away the 
venerable Indian Prince, upon a portion of whose hunt- 
ing grounds the present thriving manufacturing villages 
and pleasant homes of this town are situated. 

The three most powerful sachems of the Narragan 
setts now, were Pessicus, brother and successor of Mi- 
antonomi, Ninigret, chief of the Niantics, and Mexam, 
son and heir of Canonicus. But the glory of the tribe 
was fast fading away, and the desponding hope of the 
brave old chief for his posterity was not to be realized. 

The following is the list of persons received as " in- 
habitants " of the town previous to June 5th, 1648, in 
their order as given in the town records : (The origi- 
nal twelve purchasers have already been given.) 

Kufus Barton, Head. Townsend, Chris. Unthanke, Ezek. 
HoUinian, Jo. Lipet, Richard Townsend, Peter Greene, Tho. 
Thorncraft, James Greene, Thomas Greene, Steuk. Westcot, 

* Letter of Roger Williams. 



40 HISTORY OF WABWICK. [1648-63. 



Mr. * Jo. Smith, Mr. Nic. Hart, Mr. Walter Tod, Jo. Cooke, 
John Greene, Jr., Robert Westcott, John Sweete, John Town- 
send, Peter Burzecott, John Downiuge, Edward Inman, James 
Sweete, John Durbin, Thomas Erington, George Palmer, Amos 
Westcote, John Garreard, John Hayden, Mr. Robert Coles, 
John Potter. 

Stukely Westcott was a resident of Salem previous to July 
1639, where the church passed " the great censure" upon him 
and his wife. Both either before or after leaving Salem had 
embraced the religious sentiments and been baptized by Roger 
Williams, which was probably the reason for the action of the 
church iu Salem. It is said that he denied that the churches of 
Massachusetts w^ere true churches. His daughter Damaris 
married the son of Benedict Arnold, Mercy, another daughter, 
married Samuel Stafford. He had six sons, viz., Jeremiah, 
William, Samuel, Josiah, Benjamin, and Stukely. 

Rufus Barton came from England, but at what date is not 
known. He first settled where the city of New York now 
stands, and is said to have been the first settler there. He soon 
removed to Long Island and thence to Aquidueck, and finally 
to Warwick, where he continued to reside untd his death. He 
built a " Thatch house" on the east side of the road that leads 
down the Neck, at the head of Warwick Cove, south of the 
Gorton place. An old well in a vacant lot is supposed to bear 
some relation to the ancient dwelling. A portion or all of the 
homestead estate is noAV owned by Benjamin Rufus Barton, a 
descendant of the seventh generation. His religious views 
were of the Quaker order. His wife's name was Margaret. 
His children are mentioned in his will which was made for him 
by the town council in 1648. Benjamin married Susannah, 
daughter of Samuel Gorton . There were two daughters, Eliza- 
beth and Phebe. Rufus Barton, son of Benjamin and Susan- 
nah (Gorton) married Sarah, daughter of Rowland and Mary 
(Allen) Robinson, of Narragansett, one of whose children, 
(Rowland) born April 7, 1709, married Freelove Stafford, 
daughter of Amos. 

Lots of -land, generally of six acres, were set oif to 
these persons. Their location and bounds are given 
in the record, but no formal deeds of land were made 
until 1650, when Mr. Holliman, Mr. Warner and 
Henry Townsend were appointed a committee " to 

*The title " Mr." at this time seems to have been an honorary one, 
equivalent, perhaps, to that of "Esq." or "Hon." in later times. It 
finally was pietixed to nearly everybody's name and became of no 
special significance, as these latter ones are in a fair way to become, 
if, indeed, they have not already. 



1648-63.] EZEKTBL HOLLTMAN. 41 



draw up a forme for recording of lands and makinge 
each man a deed, and appoint that ye Clarke shall bee 
paid for his pains and so men are to repaire to the 
Clarke and he to do it." 

Ezekiel Hollimaa* was born at Tring, near Hertford, Eng- 
land, where he married Susanna, daughter of John Exton, or 
Eox, of Stanmore, Middlesex county. He married for his sec- 
ond wife Mary (widow of Isaac Sweet) probably in ^alem, 
where both appear to have been residents at the time — previous 
to 1038. He was one of the twelve cunstitueut members of the 
Eirst Baptist Church of Providence, and was appointed to 
baptize Koger Williams, which he did, and was m turn with the 
other ten, baptized by Williams. He was a deputy for Warwick, 
and is referred to as a pious, godly man. He died Sept. 17th, 
1659, intestate. The Town Council made a will for him ap- 
pointing his widow executrix. His daughter Priscilla, by his 
first wife, married John Warner. About a year previous to the 
death of Mr. Holliraan, he sent to England for one of his grand- 
children, John Warner, to come and inherit his estates. The 
Town (.Council after making provision for the widow assigned 
the remainder of the estate to his t^vo grandchildren John and 
Eachel Warner. Provision is also made for ' Susan Warner or 
other of ye children in England." There was a daughter Mary 

* An laventory of ye goods and chattells belonging to Ezekiel 
Holyman. 

A bed and boulster and pillow and a pair of sheets I 
A. bed ticke, a pair of curtains and a carpett. ) 

Severall wooden things within doors 

A rjrftat chest 

A Spitt 

A bigger iron pott 

A lesser iron pott 

Iron tools and tackling of cart and plow 

One bible 

His wearing apparrell 

Too Ackers of Come together with forty * * bushels 

Peagj paid by Mr. Smith 

2 mares and 2 coults 

A horse.... 

2 Oxen 

6 cowes milk, one at Nanhegansett 

5 iwoyearlings, whereof 2 hefers, 2 steers . 

2 yearling hefers and a yearling Inill 

A sow & three little pigs & 1 hoge 

A mortar & pestle & 1 little skillet 

The man sarvant To 



£ 


s. 


d 


04 


6 





1 










8 








r, 








7 








7 





2 


11 








rt 





5 


10 





07 








4 








52 








11 








L5 








30 








]9 








7 








3 











7 


H 





9 






183 



»4. 



42 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63. 

and perhaps others. The ■will of Mary IloHiman, widow of 
Ezekiel, dated .July .31, 1681. provides that ' In Consideration 
of the <Jreat Love and Affection I do bear unto my Son in Law, 
John Garrardy and my Daughter Kenewed Garrardy his wife 
both formerl}^ of Warwick but. now of Providence" they are to 
have her right, title and interest v> hich she then posi^essed in 
the '' House lot, meadows and uplands &c. in Warwick." The 
wife of Garrardy was probably the daughter ot Mrs. Ilolliman 
by her first husband. In an old record before me relating to 
the contentions that occurred in settling IIo liman's estate she 
is spoken of as " John Garrard\ 's wife whose name in her 
infancy was by information Meriba Sweet, afterwards called 
Eenewed Holliman, then Renewed Garrardy." 

The situation of the settlers was extremely perilous, 
owing to the unsatisfactory relations subsisting between 
them and the Indians. They were kept in a state of 
constant apprehension of an outbreak that would result 
in their entire destruction. They were comparatively 
few in number, while the natives were numerous. The 
natives of Pawtuxet and Shawomet still acknowledged 
allegiance to Massachusetts and had a two-fold reason'for 
regarding the white inhabitants about them with jealousy 
and distrust. They knew that Massachusetts regarded 
them with disfavor and Avould be inclined to overlook 
any acts of violence they might commit, while the in 
creasing ascendency of the settlers over them and the loss 
ot their lands were additional reasons for their unfriendly 
attitude. 

In view of this state of affairs a letter written by John 
Smith, Assistant, in behalf of the town, Sept. 7, 1648, 
was sent to the New England Commissioners, then con- 
vened at Plymouth, complaining that the Indians had 
killed their cattle, entered their houses by force and com- 
mitted other acts of violence, and requesting their advice 
on the subject. The commissioners wrote to the sach- 
ems "advising them to abstain from such conduct." 
The advice was couched in such terms that the natives 
seemed to have regarded it as a mere suggestion to 
which but little importance was to be attached. They 
continued their hostilities, and next year a similar letter 
was sent to the commissioners with but little better 
results. 



1648-63.] TROUBLE WITH MASSACHUSETTS. 43 



In May, 1649, Randall Holden having some business 
in Boston which required his prespnce there, petitioned 
the court that the sentence of banishment against him 
might be revoked, in order that he might personally attend 
to it. He was informed that an attorney could attend 
to the business as well as himself. * 

On May 22, 1649, the General Court of Commissioners 
w:is held in this town and lasted four days. John 
Smith was chosen President and Samuel Gorton Assist- 
ant for Warwick. I etters were addressed to the Paw- 
tuxet men respecting their allegiance to the colony, and 
the sachems of Pawtuxet and Shawomet were summoned 
to attend upon the court. This led the parties addressed 
to complain to Massachusetts, who in turn addressed let- 
ters to Rhode Island warning all whom it concerned 
against prosecuting any of her subjects. The subse- 
quent course of Massachusetts was the occasion of the 
following action of the town : 

July 26, 1050. " Ordered by the Towne Ihat whereas 3 sum- 
monst s were left at John Greene's house by the hand of Rich- 
ard Chasemore, to summons him to the court of Massachusetts 
to be held at Boston tlie last of July, it is ordered by vote of 
the Towne that John Greene Junor above saide shall nut goe 
downe to the Courie with respect to the summons." 

" Ordered that Mr. Gorton, Mr. Weekes. Mr Rand. Houlden, 
Mr. Wai'ner, are chosen to draw up a letter to be sent to the 
Bay." 

A committee was appointed to meet similar committees 
of the other towns at Portsmouth in reference to the 
summons, and in case they failed to send an answer to 
Massachusetts, the Warwick letter, signed by Mr. Wickes 
in behalf of the town, was to be forwarded. 

Matters were assuming such importance that the Gen- 
eral Assembly deemed it necessary to appeal again to the 
Foreign Committee of Plantations, and Roger Wilhams 
was urged to go once more to England in behalf of the 
colony. Massachusetts was duly notified of this in- 
tention by John Gieene in behalf of this town, in a letter 
setting; forth the reasons that had led the colonists to this 



* Mass. Col. Rec. ii. 275. 



44 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63. 

conclusion. The letter stated that they "were bought 
and sold from one patent and jurisdiction to another;" 
that they had been threatened with expulsion from 
their lands and exposed to violence since the order of 
Parliament was made for their protection, and they should 
seek redress from the home government, and the United 
Colonies might instruct their agents to act accordingly. 

" Feb. 3, 1651. Agreement between the Tovvneof Warwicke 
with Mr. John Wickes, Mr. Randall Houlden, Mr. Walter 
Todd. .lohn Greene, J'-., as undertakers to build a mill in the 
aforesaide Towne, at their own cost and charges, and to grind 
the Towne corne tor two quarts in a bushelle, in consideration 
of which the town doth give and grant to the said undertakers 
for their encouragement that lolt, that was formerly Mr. Gor- 
ton's" &c. 

" Ordered that the undertakers of the mill have liberty to 
damme up the fresh river for their use anywhere above the lott, 
Mr. Holliman purchased of Peter Bnrzicot." 

" The town ordereth that in case Richard Harcutt's meadow 
bee spoiled by the dammin<re the water at the mill, he shall 
have 2 akers for one in the most convenient place not granted, 
for all said damnifyinge." 

The year 1651 is memorable in the history of the 
Rhode Island colony by the withdrawal of the towns of 
Newport and Portsmouth and their establishment of an 
independent government under a commission obtained 
by William Coddington, leaving Providence and War- 
wick to act alone. A considerable number * howe^^er, 
from the "defective towns" were dissatisfied, and sent 
Dr. Clarke as commissioner to England to obtain a re- 
peal of Coddington's commission. Williams, as agent of 
Providence and Warwick, sailed with him from Boston 
in November, their object now being to obtain a new 
charter that: would reunite the dismembered colony. In 
the meantime the two towns remaining held their Gene- 
ral Assembly as usual. Samuel Gorton was chosen Pres- 
ident of the colony this year, and John Greene for 
clerk of the Assembly. To increase the anxiety of the 
settlers, Plymouth and Missaciiusetts renewed their dis- 
pute about Warwick, and in September " Plymouth was 



* Staples annals of Providence, p. 82. 



1648-63.] CASE OF JOHN WARNER. 45 

advised to take possession of that plantation by force, 
unless the inhabitants would willingly submit themselves 
to their jurisdiction." 

Over such turbulent waves did the little ship of State 
sail during the year 1651, tossed by billows on every side, 
but still bearing a crew of valiant men whose courage 
and wisdom were equal to the emergency. 

In April, 1652, a somewhat curious affair occurred 
in the town that eventually led to the disfranchise- 
ment of one of the original purchasers. It appears 
that a Dutch vessel had arrived at Shawomet, on a 
trading excursion, the crew of which boarded for seve- 
ral months with John Warner, who was this year one 
of the magistrates of the town. A dispute arose in 
settling their accounts, and the Dutchmen finally ap- 
pealed to the court for assistance. A special session of 
the court was held, and Warner refusing to appear in 
his defence, judgment was entered against him by de- 
fault. Warner's wife was also implicated, and the case 
was carried before the General Court of trials for the 
colony. The result of the matter, with the specific 
charges, is given in the following extracts from the 
town records. The orthography is modernized. 

" The 24th of April, 1652, at a town meeting of law-making 
assembly, ordered, that John Warner for his misdemeanors 
under-annexed, is degraded by the unanimous consent of the 
town from bearing any otRce iu the town, and that he is wholly 
disenabled forever hereafter bearing any office in the town, 
until he give the town satisfaction. 

" It is further ordered that the above said John VVarner is 
put out from having any vote in the town concerning its affairs. 

" The charges against John Warner are these : 

First. For calling the officers of the town rogues and thieves 
with respect to their office. 

Item. For calling the whole town rogues and thieves. 

Item. For threatening the lives of men. 

Item. For threatening to kill all the mares of the town. 

Item. For his contempt in not appearing before the town 
now met, being lawfully summoned by a summons from the 
officer, with two magistrates' hands to it. 

Item. For threatening an officer of the colony in open court, 
that if he had him elsewhere he would beat out his brains, as 
also calling him rogue. 



46 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63. 



Item. For his employing an agent in his behalf to write to 
the Massachusetts; thereb}' going about to enthral the liberties 
of the town, to the great indignity of the honored State of 
England, who granted the said privileges unto us." 

On the 22d of June it was ordered, "That the house and 
land of John Warner situate and being in the sayd towne be 
attached forthwith upon susi:)icion of unsufferable treacherie 
against the town, to the forfeiture of the sayd house and land, 
and that notice may be given him of the attachment thereof 
that so hee by himself or aturney may answer at the next Court 
of Trials to be held in Warwicke the third Tuesday in August 
next ensuing the date hereof. It is also ordered that all persons 
are hereby prohibited from laying any claim or title unto it, or 
any part thereof by bargain and sale or otherwise until hee 
hath answered the law and be cleared by order of the court 
held as aforesayd, but remains in the hand and custody of the 
town in the mean time. 

" Ordered. That the sergeant shall have a copie of this 
order and set it up ujion the door of the house. 

" Ordered, that if hereafter John Warner or any for him shall 
sell that house and laud above sayd, any part or parcel of it, to 
any but such as shall subscribe to our order, it shall as before 
be wholly forfeit to the town." 

The property was released on the 5th of July by the following 
order : " Ordered by the town of Warwick that the house and 
land of John "Warner situated in the said towne of VVarwick, 
being of late atached upon suspicion of the breach of the grand 
law* of the town, be resigned to the said John Warner again." 

The proceedings excited consideralble interest through- 
out the colony. Randall Holden, Samuel Gorton and 
three others protested against the release of the prop- 
erty, but without effect. It was one of those affairs 
that would have been considered of little consequence, 
and passed over and been forgotten soon in a larger 
community, but in the weakness of the infant settle- 
ment was of considerable importance. It resulted in 
Warner's conveying his property to trustees for the use 
and support of his infant daughter on the 17th of the 
same mouth, with the intention of going to England, 
The deed of conveyance is recorded in the Clerk's office. 

John Warner came from England, but at what date is un- 

* The "grand law" was a compact made by the town iu 1647, and 
confirmed the following year, by which the inhabitants bound them- 
selves not to convey their lands t<* any other jurisdiction, on pain of 
disfranchisement and of forfeiture of the whole estate to the town. 



1648-63.] THE WABNER FAMILY. 47 



known. He was an inhabitant of Providence in 1637, and had 
one of the "Home lots," near where the " What Cheer" build- 
ing now stands. He was the first Town Clerk after the organ- 
ization of the towu,and also a member of the first Town Coun- 
cil; also a Deputy and Assistant; and in 1648 Clerk of the Gen- 
eral Court. He married Priscilla, daughter of Ezekiel Hoili- 
man. He left a son John, who married Anna, daughter of 
Samuel Gorton, also three daughters, Susan, Mary and Rachel. 
He died during a voyage from England, in 1653 or \54. The 
three older children went to England with him. The son John 
was finally sent for by his grandfather Ezekiel Holliman to in- 
herit his property. The prenomen John was continued for not 
less than lour generations. John Warner 2d had four children, 
viz. John, Ezekiel, Anna and Priscilla. John Warner .3d 
had ten children, viz. : John, Elizabeth, Anne, Susannah, Ra- 
chel, William, Samuel, Mary, Priscilla and William, the last 
three by a sec: nd wife. John Warner 4th, had the generous 
number of fourteen children, and lived on the north side of the 
road at the turn near Warners' brook. The old Warner brrial 
ground is on the east side of the road leading to Conimicut. 

The General Assembly met in this town December 
20th, 1652, at the house of Robert Potter, having been 
called by the President of the colony, John Smith, of 
Warwick. The President being absent, the Assembly 
sent him the following communication signed b}' John 
Greene, Recorder: 

"Honored Sir : — The commissioners of Providence and 
Warwick being assembled together at Robert Potter's house, 
according to yovir order, doe earnestly entreat that you will 
be pleased to afford us your presence lo informe us of those 
weighty considerations invested in your warrant, wee being as- 
sembled together as aforesa3'ed to advise and order, for the 
peace of this Colony." 

From the action subsequently taken by the Assembly 
it appears that the President and Mr. Gorton, who was 
General Assistant for Warwick, haft examined Hugh 
Bewitt, one of the commissioners from Providence, and 
found him guilty of treason, and presented him for trial. 
After providing for the safe custody of the prisoner, the 
Assembly adjourned, to meet the next morning at the 
house of Mr. Warner. The trial continued several 
days and the prisoner was acquitted. 

Robert Potter was admitted a freeman in Massachusetts, Sep- 
tember 3, 1631. He removed to Rhode Island in 1639. He 



48 HISTORY OP WARWICK. [1648-63. 

afterwards removed to Warwick, and was one of the original 
twelve purchasers.* When the Massachusetts soldiers came to 
arrest the settlers soon after their occupancy of the land, Mrs. 
Potter, with some of the other women, sought refuge in the 
woods, and soon afterwards died from exposure and fright. 
Potter was licensed in February, 1649, to keep an ordinary, or 
tavern, in Warwick. He died in the latter part of 1661, leaving 
a son John, and a daughter Deliverance, who married James, 
son of John Greene. John died in 1694, intestate, and his 
estate falling to John, Jr., he shared it with his brother Wil- 
liam, as per deed of April 10, 1694. 

The mission of Williams and Clarke was successful 
In the following February, a messenger arrived from 
England with the repeal of Coddington's commission 
and an order for the reunion of the towns under the 
charter. The division continued, however, another year. 
In May two distinct assemblies convened for a general 
election at the same time, one at Providence and the 
other at Newport. Finally, after a sej^aration of three 
years, a reunion was effected, and a full court of com- 
missioners from the four towns was assembled in this 
town "ye last of August, A. D. 1654." It was then 
ordered "that a Court of Election be held uppon Tues- 
day, ye 12th of ye next month, and to be kept at War- 
wicke ; which officers then chosen shall be engaged and 
stand till } e Court of Election in May next. 

The important positions held by persons from this 
town in the government of the colony during these 
years of unhappy discussions indicate the estimation 
in which they were held by the people. That the col- 
ony was not entirely broken up by its enemies within 
and without, maybe ascribed to the wisdom and prudence 
of a few men of the two loyal towns, who firmlyheld the 
reins of government during this period of its weakness. 

INDIAN DEED OF POTOWOMUT. 

The following is a copy of the Indian deed of that por- 
tion of the town called Potowomut, recorded in the 
" booke of land evidences" in the Town Clerk's office : 



* On page 11, deed of Miantouomi, by some oversight, the iiames of 
Robert Potter aud Is' icholas Power were omitted. They should have 
been inserted after the name of Sampson Shotteu. 



1648-63.] DEED OF POTOWOMTJT. 49 



" Know all men by these presents that I Taccomanan, 
right owner of all ye meadows and mowable land upon a neck 
of ground commonly called by ye English, by ye name of Po- 
tawomett, situated and being upon ye great river called by ye 
naime of Narrheygansett Bay, lying over against ye South end 
of that necke of land called Shawomet, which bay is ye east 
bounder, and that river commonly called by ye English Potawo- 
mut river; being in ye southward bovinder and Coessett bay, 
being ye norward bounder for ye space or length of f ower 
miles,' according to ye English accorapt, by ye said Xarrhy- 
gansett bay, which parsell of land as above saide with all ye 
right and privilidges thereto appertaining by land, water, wood 
or otherwise, I doe hereby, and by these presents ffreely ac- 
knowledge to have leagally and trewly sould, made over, and 
by these presents doe forever quit claime unto Randall Houl- 
den and Ezekiel Hollyman, both ot Warwick, for- themselves 
and ye resr, of ye inhabitants of ye abovesaide towno of War- 
wicke, to them and to their heires, and to have and to hould 
forever, for ye just some of fifteen pounds dewly paid and re- 
ceived already, in wampumpeage;only I am to receive ye value 
of one coate of such cloth as ye Indians doe now commonly use to 
weare, annually as a gratu^y hereafter; and I doe hereby binde 
and engagdgemyselfe, that neither I nor any in my naime, nor 
in my behalf e shall forever hereafter disturbe or molest them or 
any of them in ye quiett and peaceable possession and enjoy- 
ment of this, their proper right and inheritance; Moreover I 
doe by these presents further binde and engage myselfe and 
allso my heires and suckcessors, and that in consideration of 
ye abovesaide some of money in payment received, never 
hereafter to sell, mortgage, let. or make over any moor, meadow 
or raowab'.e land within my right, tytle or claims unto any, 
what or whomsoever, but only to ye parties abovenamed, their 
heires and assignes. In virtue whereof I have heare unto 
sett my hand and scale according to ye custom of ye English. 
Dated ye thirteenth day of July Anno 1654. 

Taccomanan his marke 



AWASHOTUST eldest soun 
to him aboue, his marke 

Wawanockashaw, another soun, 
/■ his marke 

Sealed and delivered in ye presence of Jeremy Westcott, 
William Baker, Samuel Ensall." 

In the town records, under date of Feb. 8, 1667, Tac- 

5 




60 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63. 

comanan is mentioned as the Sachem of Potowomut. 
The land was bought for the town.* 

In 1655, the number of persons enrolled as freemen 
in this town was thirty-eight. Providence had forty- 
two, Portsmouth, seventy-one, and Newport, ninety- 
six. ■ Their names are given in the first volume of the 
R I. Col. Records. These do not include, however, the 
full number of residents, but simply those who had been 
formall}^ "received" as inhabitants. 

The Indians becoming exceedingly troublesome, the 
General Assembly issued a warrant to bring Pomham 
before the court to answer the complaints of the town, 
and a committee was subsequently appointed to treat 
with him. An order was also issued " that Warwick shall 
build a sufficient prison at ye charge of fortie pounds, 
whereof Providence is to pay six pounds ; in lieu 
whereof Providence shall have use of ye saide prison to 
putt their prisoners in ; and also ft is ordered and con- 
cluded by engagement as aforesaide, that Providence 
shall build a sufficient cage or stocks at ye charge of 
fourteen pounds, which prison, cage, or stocks, Warwick 
alsoe shall have ye use of if occasion be." 

In November additional efforts were made to come to 
an understanding with the natives, and Koger Williams, 
as President of the colony, wrote to the Massachusetts 
General Court in regard to the matter, calling the atten- 
tion of the court also to the suit against them by the 
town for £2,000 damages. Having received no reply, 
Williams in the spring wrote to Gov. Endicott, who in- 
vited him to come to Boston. 

The following entry in the Warwick records of May 
15, of this year (165^), refers to the provision made by 
the town to meet the expenses of the President for this 
journey in its behalf. 

* Some difficulty ^rose subsequently in reference to this tract of land. 
It appears that anotlier deed was given to Capt. Randall Holden, 
June 2(i, ]6(i0, by Kauiowisb, which "was surrendcsred up by said 
Capt Houlden unto Mr. Benedict Arnold. Assistant for the use of the 
Colony " There was also some contention in regard to the land be- 
tween the town and the "inhabitants of Kings Towue." See R. I. Col. 
Rec. III., 95, 104, 109. 



1648-63.] ROGER WILLIAMS' KEGOTIATIONS. 51 



"Ordered that forty shillings be sent out of the treasury 
unto Mr. Roger Williams, and a pair of Indian 15reeches for 
his Indian at seven shillings sixpence at 6 pr penny, as also a 
horse for his journey unto Boston and back again." 

Before departingf upon his errand to Boston Williams 
addressed a second letter to the General Court of Mas- 
sachusetts, in which he refers at length to the lawless- 
ness of the natives, as also to the trouble occasioned by 
the few English settlers at Pawtuxet, who still main- 
tained their former attitude against the settlers at Shaw- 
omet. In his letter he says, " I am humbly confident 
that all the English plantations in all New England put 
together suffer not such molestation from the natives as 
this one town and people. The settlers are so danger- 
ously and so vexatiously intermingled with the barbari- 
ans that I have long admired the wonderful power of 
God in restraining and preventing very great fires of 
mutual slaughters breaking forth between them. The 
remedy is (under God) only your pleasure that Pura- 
ham shall come to an agreement with the town or col- 
ony, and that some convenient way and time be set for 
their removal." 

Gratifying progress was made by the visit of Williams 
to Boston in reference to the Indian affairs, and it was 
agreed that the Pawtuxet controversy should be closed 
by arbitration. This, however, was not effected fully 
till two years after, when the Pawtuxet men withdrew 
their allegiance from Massachusetts and submitted to 
Rhode Island. 

Roger Williams was born in Wales in 1599, and died in Provi- 
dence, April, 168:}. " He was buried with all the solemnity 
the Colony were able to show." Callender in his Century Ser- 
mon says "he appears to have been one of the most disinter- 
ested men that ever lived, and a most pious and heavenly 
minded soul." 

"All his study bent 

To wor.ship God aright, and know His works, 

Not hid, nor those things last which might preserve 

Freedom and peace to man." — Milton * 

As we write this page the subject of repealing the act 



* See Knowles' Life of Williams, published in 1834. 



52 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63. 

of banishment of Roger Williams is before the Massa- 
chusett Legislature. 

The meetings of the General Assembly when it met 
in this town, as well as the town meetings, were held at 
private houses. On Feb. 22, 1652, it was "ordered to 
adjourne the meetinge and forthwith to repair to the 
house of John Warner, where Thomas Avington dwells, 
and there being mett orderly it was ordered by the 
Towne, that henceforth their place of meeting be at the 
house of .John Warner aforesaid, Thomas Avington con- 
senting thereto and the said Thomas Avington is to have 
twelve shillings for the use of the house ; and this to bee 
until the Towne see cause to alter it." 

The constant danger to which the inhabitants were 
exposed from the Indians, and the generally unsettled 
state of affairs in the colony made it necessary to appoint 
a guard to be on the constant lookout for trouble. In 
April 5, 1653, the two following orders were placed 
upon record : "Ordered, that two men shall watch 
every day until they shall see cause to alter it." "Or- 
dered that the watch shall consist of eight men any 
order formerly notwithstanding." 

In a bundle of miscellaneous papers stowed away in 
the Town Clerk's office, I find a somewhat important 
paper, dated March 22d, L652, and signed by Samuel 
Gorton, Randall Holden and ten others, in which a 
proposition is made to sell out their lands and remove 
from the region. The paper is much defaced, and a 
portion, including parts of nearly all the lines are de- 
stroyed, including a part ot the signatures. The paper 
speaks of the dangers to which they were exposed from 
the Indians, and the divisions among their own number, 
occasioned chiefly from the failure of those parties who 
had it in their power to render them the necessary as- 
sistance. The tone of the paper is one of discouragement, 
resulting from their peculiarly trying position. 

What legal rights the Indians still retained in the 
lands or any portion of them, deeded in the original pur- 
chase, does not appear from the records, so far as I have 



1648-63.] RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE. 53 

been able to ascertain. But ifc seems that they were 
permitted to remain upon the unoccupied portions, and 
were allowed certain other not very clearly defined priv- 
ileges. Under date of May 2, 1653, it was "ordered that 
these men namely Randall Houlclen, Richard Townsend, 
Stuckely Wascote, James Sweete, Christopher Haux- 
hurst and John Cole are ap))ointed to agree with the 
Indians about Nawsaucot and their way about fencinge 
in their fields." An appropriation of £12 10s was 
subsequently made on report of the committee to pay the 
Indians for fencing their lands. 

The rights ot conscience were sacredly regarded 
throughout the colony, and may sometimes have been the 
pretext for refusing to perform disagreeable duties. The 
plea, however, was unusually effective, as in the case 
mentioned in the town records under date of July 5, 1655, 
where "Goodman Erington refusing to serve as constable 
by reason of a scruple of his mind," he was excused 
from the service and another appointed in his stead. 

A somewhat amusing case of conscience is related in 
Staples' Annals of Providence, p. 2-1. It appears that 
Joshua Verin refused to allow his wife to go to Mr. 
Williams' meeting as often as she wished. The woman 
thought it her duty to go, and her husband seemed to 
think it was his duty to restrain her. In this cross-fire 
the church censured Verin, and "some were of opinion 
that if Verin would not suffer his wife to have her 
liberty the church should dispose of her to some other 
man who would use her better." Arnold told them 
that Verin acted conscientiously, and their order was 
" that no man should be censured for his conscience." 
Verin soon after left Providence and went to Salem. 
Gov. Winthrop seems to have regarded this action on 
the part of Williams as a violation of the principle 
which he so strenuously advocated, but the facts will 
hardly justify the opinion. 

On July 8d of this year, it was ordered that " by 
reason of the great inconvenience that hath been by 
means of allowance no Towne meetings without twelve 



54 HISTORY OF WABWICK. [1648-63. 

men lawfully met, that heneeforth eight Townsmen be- 
inge lawfully met. by lawful warninge have full authority 
to act as if the whole towne were present." A convenient 
provision was made the following year with regard to the 
number of men that should constitute a legal jury. 
Instead of the usual number of twelve, six jurors 
were to compose the body, and they were to be paid, 
each one shilling sixpence for each case tried before them. 

By far the larger number of acts passed by the town 
up to this time related to the disposition of the lands. 
The grants were generally of six acres as house lots, to 
which were added other portions at different times. The 
consideration, if any, was not usually mentioned at the 
time the grant was made. Besides these the unoccupied 
lands were apportioned among the settlers for a limited 
time. The following, under date of May 17, 1656, illus- 
trates the point : "At a meetinge of the Townsmen of 
Warwicke it is ordered that the medows at Potowomet 
and Pawtuxet that are now lotted out to the inhabitants 
shall remain to each man, appropriated but for this yeare 
and be allotted the next year if the Towne see cause." 
In the following, passed the same year, a consideration 
is mentioned : " It is ordered that John Sweete shall 
have two ackers of medow for himself and Henry 
Townsend, in any place where he can find it, that is yet 
undivided, for some pains he has taken in surveying the 
medow at Pawtuxet river within the bounds of this 
towne." Also the following without a con^^ideration in 
the same year: " Ordered that Mr. John Greene shall 
have the medow at the notheast side of the pond called 
by the Indians Cacouncke, lying by a brooke that runs 
out of the aforesaid pcnd." 

The proprietors of the grist mill, to whom a land 
grant had been made in consideration of their agreement 
to grind the town corn at the rate of two quarts per 
bushel, were suspected of having too large a measure, 
and to meet this suspicion the following was passed : 
" It being complained of that the Toll Dish is too bigg : 
ordered that Mr. Holliman doe gett a pair of skaills for 
the mill by the sixst of May following." 



1648-63.] BOUNTIES ON WILD ANIMALS. 55 

The following bears the date of Feb. 8, 1557 : " It 
is ordered that a parcell of land, adjoining to Massapoge 
pond westward, be for a horse pasture for the Towne's 
use accordinge as may be the most conveniently made 
use of, for to save fencinge, that the horses may be 
there kept during the time they are apt to damnify the 
corne." 

To meet one of the less serious troubles to which the 
settlers were subject, it was ordered, Oct. 10, 1658, 
" that if any one kill the great gray woolfe that hath 
done so much mischiele in the Towne hee shall have 
five pounds for his pains and for any other woolfe fower 
pounds." As John Sweete subsequently received five 
pounds for killing a wolf, it is probable that the old 
"gray" came to grief by his hands. An Indian re- 
ceived a reward of forty shillings the same day for a 
similar service. * 

Feb. 4, 1659. "Ordered that Mr. John Greene shall 
have as much land at his medow Cacowanch, known by 
the name of Coeset pond for to fence his medow in, he 
leaving out so much of his land at Occupasnetuxet." 

The foregoing indicate the nature ot the town laws 
passed during the years 1652-60, and incidentally throw 
light upon the condition of society during this period. 
If they are not expressed with that precision and ele- 

* Wolves were so troublesome that Roger Williams was commis- 
sioned to arrange witli Miantonomi for a grand hunt to exterminate 
tbem. — Arnold 1, 154. 

Portsmoutli petitioned Newport, January 1658, to assist her in driv- 
ing the wolves from the island; and the records of that town of Nov. 
10, lfi(i3, mention that " the island was to be driven the next fair 
day on account of the destruction of sheep bv wolves and other ver- 
min." Every householder was required to kill twelve black birds and 
to bring in their heads or pay a fine of two shillings; and for all above 
twelve that were killed, he should receive one shilling each. — Ports- 
mouth Rec, April 16, 1697. 

In 1716, the bounty (in Providence) on wolves was twenty shillings, 
and on grey squirrels, two pence. In 1724, there was a bounty of 
three pence on rats, and in 1729, one of ten shillings on wild cats. — 
Staple's Annals, 190. 

In February, 1733-4, a bounty of one pound was offered for bears 
and the same for wild cats; in 1736, the bounty on bears was raised 
to tbree pouuds; in 1764, a bounty of four pounds was offered for 
wolves. 



56 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63. 

gance of language that characterizes our modern stat- 
utes, they have at least the merit of conciseness and were 
sufficiently accurate in form to meet the emergencies of 
the times. 

Previous to the organization of the town under its 
charter, an order had been passed regulating the dis- 
position of the lands among the inhabitants of the town. 
An individual before becoming an "inhabitant," was re- 
quired to be propounded and received by a formal vote. 
He was also required to pay the sum of XlO or its equi- 
valent. This entitled him to all the rights and privileges 
enjoyed by the original purchasers of the territory pur- 
chased of the natives. Certain portions of territory in 
the more compact part of the settlement were assigned 
him as a house lot, which it appears he was allowed to 
select from that which was yet unappropriated, with cer- 
tain not very clearly defined rights in the more distant 
wild la: ds. As the inhabitants increased in number 
other regulations were found to be necessary. The 
meagre, indefinite records both of the town and colony in 
reference to the disposition of the lands, the boundaries of 
the several grants and the consideration in view of which 
they were made, render it difficult to determine always 
their exact character. The purchases from the Indians 
seem to have been especially indefinite and caused the 
colonists much trouble, making it necessary for the latter 
at times to purchase their lands over again from some 
subsequent claimant. Land at the time was plenty and 
cheap. The Indian title was not always clear, and 
hence arose innumerable misunderstandings in reference 
to them. It is not certain but that the settlers sometimes 
took advantage of the simplicity of the natives in these 
matters. 

The several laws enacted during this period in refer- 
ence to the disposition of the Warwick lands by the town, 
as well as some passed by the General Assembly in favor 
of its settlers, as well as others of a different character, 
may here be stated with but few comments, resers'ing 
for a more favorable opportunity such explanations as 
may seem necessary. 



1648-63.] VARIOUS TOWN LAWS. 57 



" April 4, 1660. Ordered that henceforth any inhabitants 
that shall hereafter bee received shall not have any land, ac- 
cordinge to any former order, but so much onely as the Towne 
shall by particular order grant them, and where the Towne 
shall see fitt, any order formerly notwithstandinge." 

"• April 30, 1660. Ordered that the Clarke doe write any 
freeman's voate of the Town that cannot write himselfe, and 
that he shall call upon persons for their voates." 

" Ordered, in answer lo Mr. Holden's bill that forthwith 
those that are free to pay thare monies for Aqueadnesicke 
doe enter thare names and that tenn days be appointed for 
those that are absent to ye Clarke to enter thare names also, 
and bring in thare monies." 

"At a Towne meeting held in Warwick the 2d of November 
Mr. Smilh chosen moderator, the Towne tacking it into serious 
consideration the regeneration of the mill dame, and beinge it 
cannot be doue untill the inhabitants doe generally assist in 
the worck, have therefore thought fitt to order that all the in- 
habitants doe generally assist in the worck ; and those that re- 
quier satisfaction for iheir time Mr. Harvi doth engage to pay 
them ; and for the better effectinge of the mater the Towne 
doth apoynt Mr. Weeks, Mr. John Greene, to give order when 
and who shall come in as ocation shall requier, as allso when 
all the inhabitants shall come in ; and if any refues upon such 
warning from the deputed men above sayd, they shall bee lya- 
ble to pay a fine at the discretion of the Towne, accordinge as 
the damage shall appear, for their neglect." 

" Ordered that Mr. John Greene is apoynted to write to the 
President and Assistants about the Indians pressing in upon 
our lands and spoiling our timber — desiring their assistants to 
supres their violence." 

" Jan. 6, 1661—2. Ordered, whereas at a Towne meeting the 
3d of February in the year 1657 there was granted a peace for 
a horse pasture for the Towne's use it is now ordered, that all 
those free inhabitants that are now willing to fence in a pasture 
for horses, heave liberty, granted by the Towne to tacke in 
either three quarters of a mile, or a mile square, more or less, 
on the west side of Massapoge pond; and that the said pasture 
bee only proper for them that fence." 

" May 10, 1662. Ordered that Goodman Hedger is apoynted 
to give notis to ye inhabitants of ye Towne to repayer ye fence 
at Toskeunk and he to oversee the work." 

" Ordered that any man's share of meddow at Potowomet 
and Papepieset alias Tosceunck * be recorded by ye Clarke in 
ye towne Booke." 



♦This land was situated not far from the present village of Pontiac. 
It was also written Tauskounk and also Toskiounke. See Providence 
Records, ' . 9. Parsons says "there was au Indian tribe there." Prob- 
ably an Indian village merely and not a separate tribe. 



58 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1648-63. 

At a meeting of the General Assembly * held in this town 
June 17, 1662, on petition of Mr. Edmund Calverly, 
Thomas Ralph, WilUam Burton, James Sweet and John 
Sweet of this town and ten or twelve more of the free- 
men of this colony "permission was granted them to pur- 
chase of the natives a tract of land lying together and 
not exceeding fower thousand akers." At the same 
session John Greene, James Greene, Thomas Greene, 
with two others, obtained leave ''to purchase fifteen hun- 
dred ackers according to the former rule." 

" December 31. • Ordered that ye Clarke shall heave for re- 
cordinge marridjjes Is. Od and for reccrdinge the birth of a 
child 6d and lor recordinge the death of a person 6d." 

Gorton and his associates previous to their purchase 
of lands in this town were charged with denying the le- 
gality of all human governments. Their resistance to 
the several governments established in different portions 
of New England, where for a time they had taken up 
their temporary abode, arose from the peculiar views 
they held respecting legally organized governments. 
Since the adoption of the charter they nad proved the 
charge against them to have been groundless, by freely 
acquiescing in the government of the colony, and lending 
their assistance in its establishment. They were, how- 
ever "strict constructionists", as the following order passed 
by the town on Oct. 12, 166B, indicates: 

" Ordered in regard that there is a writing directed to ye 
Warden or Deputy Warden of ye Towne of Waiwick and sub- 
scribed Jamrs J. 11. Rogers, and not ye titell of any ofice annex- 
ed there to; the Towne doe therefore ijmtest against it as being 
contrary to law. and order that report bee made hereof to ye 
next Court of Commissioners." 

" It is further ordered that the Towne being sensible of mat- 
ters that doe depend which concerns our Agent, Mr. John 
Clarke, doe therefore conclude to choose commishioners to at- 



* The "General Assembly " at tirst applied ouly to a meeting of all 
the people. The legislative body until IfioO was usually called the 
"Court of Commissioners," or "General Court of Commissioners." 
Subsequent to this date it styled itself the "General Assembly." The 
distinction was not cleaily defined, and I have used the terms inter- 
cbangeably. 



1648-63.] CHANGE IN CUREENCT. 59 

tend ye Court, notwithstandinge ye illegality of ye said writing, 
and that justice may proceed notwithstandinge ye said ne- 
glect, doe [illegible] order to chuse Jurymen to attend uppon ye 
Court of Tryails." 

The currency of the colony, wampum peage. which 
had been in use from the earliest settlement, had fallen so 
low in value that it was declared to be no longer legal 
tender. The other colonies had abandoned it some time 
previously. — Massachusetts had commenced the coining 
of silver ten years before. "All fines, rates, fees, dam- 
adges and costs of court in all actions now, were to bee 
accounted and payed in current pay according to mer- 
chants pay," that is, in sterling or New England currency. 

As there was no restriction in relation to the manu- 
facture of peage, a large amount came early into circu- 
lation, and as early as 1649, a law was passed lowering 
the standard of black peage one third, and four instead 
of three per penny was made the legal rate. A con- 
siderable amount of broken, and much that showed less 
care or skill in its preparation, found its way into the 
circulation, and tended to depreciate its value. The 
coinage of silver in Massachusetts began in 1652, and 
shillings and sixpences bearing that date are still extant. 
Thirty shillings of New England silver was equal to 
twenty shillings sixpence sterling. Specimens of the 
Indian currency may be found in various collections of 
curiosities, both public and private. 



60 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1663-67. 



CHAPTER IV. 

From 1663 to the close of Philiph War. 

Down to even a comparatively late date the meetings 
of the General Assembly when convened in this town, as 
well as the town meetings, were held either in private 
houses, or in taverns. Whether a town house was built 
previous to the breaking out of Philip's war, is uncertain 
though probably not. The attention of the people how- 
ever was called to the necessity of some pubHc building, 
and some preliminary measures were taken in regard to 
the matter. The earliest efforts in this direction were 
on Feb. 20, 1663, under which date Edmund Calverly 
and Goodman Westcott were added to a committee ap- 
pointed for this purpose. The record continues : 

" It is ordered and agreed by those that were appointed by 
ye town to lay out Peter Burzecott's acker of land which is for 
a tenement, is laid out 8 poles wide on ye front; and ye side 
adjuminge to ye northerern end of Goodman Westcotts house 
lot being twentie one pole in length; and ye other side but 
nineteene poles in length joyninge to ye lott layd out for ye 
Towne house, which saide lott is six poles wide on ye front, 
that is to say, to ye way that leadeth through ye Towne, it 
being easterly from ye front of ye said Towne lott and ye 
length of ye sayde lott to be nineteene poles on that side next 
to Peter Burzecott's, and ye other end fower poles and half 
wide next to ye common, and ye other side bounded by ye high- 
way that leadeth into ye common by James Sweet's hous lott, 
which sayde highway is six poles wide at ye least, and ye bury- 
inge place layd out tor ye Towne is eight poles squaer, joining 
to ye western end of Peter Burzecott's aker of land adjoininge 
to Goodman Waskott's hous lott, which is ye southern bounds 
of ye buryinge place and on ye west by ye common and northerly 
by common." 



1603-67.] PREPARATIONS FOR A TOWN HOUSE. 61 

Nothing further appears to have been done about the 
town house until March, 1675, when the town ordered 
"that every man in this Towne tliat hatli not a teeme 
shall give a days work at digging and loading stones ; and 
every man that hath a teeme shall allow a day's work 
with his teeme to draw ye said stones into place, at such 
time when they shall be warned thereto by a beate of the 
drum or other ways which worke will be a good prepar- 
ative toward building thesayd house." 

" May 18, 1663. Ordered that all ye inhabitants from Job 
Allmy's to Lippit's bridge doe goe forth to set up ye fence that 
goeth to ye great pond to ye head of ye Coeve by Aponaliock 
[Apponaug] ye 21 of this instant, and Mr. John Greene is ye 
surveyor of iheni ; and ye 2:k\ of ye same Mr. Edmund Calverly 
is to led forth all ye inhabitants to finish the fence." 

Feb. 22, 1G61-5. '' Ordered that Mr. Walter Todd treasurer 
of ye Towne of Warwicke bee desired to agre with some worke- 
man to make a pair of stocks for ye use of ye Towne, and ye 
same to be delivered into ye constable'scustody, who is hereby 
ordered to set them up in some convenient place in ye toAvn of 
Warwick." 

By act of the General Assembly all the towns were 
required to have a cage or pair of stocks.* Previously 
the town was entitled to the use of those in Providence, 
while the latter town was entitled to the use of the 
Warwick prison. 

The lawless Pomham was notified that he was "in this 
Collonye jurisdiction ; and that hee take some speedye 
course to issue the difference betwixt the men of War- 
wick and himselfe concerning lands &c.; or else that hee 
may expect that upon a legal triall the courts of this col- 
ony are resolved to doe justice in the premises."! 

The earliest book of records in the Town Clerk's office 
contains several entries of inquests that are models of 
simplicity and honesty. The following is under date of 
February 18, 1665. After such an explicit statement of 
the facts in the case one is hardly willing to doubt but 
that little Mary was lawfully and accidentally drowned, 



» Arnold, i, 312. t R. I. Col. Rec. ii, 32. 
6 



62 HISTORY OF WABWICK. [1663-67. 

though the verdict of the jury on the following day hard- 
ly exonerates her parents from blame. Eliza Collins, 
one of the jury, was not a woman. His name is written 
also Elyza in subsequent records ; also in his military ca- 
pacity he is styled Lieut. Eliza Collins.* 

" Mary Samon, daughter of John and Ann Samon. aged nine 
years or thereabouts, was found drowned in ye brooke, by Mr. 
Anthony Low's; and ye nineteenth of February Ca^Dt. John 
Greene being Crowner or Coroner, with a jury of 12 men, did 
inquire into ye ocation of her death by drowning; ye jurymen's 
names here folletli: Richard Carder, foreman; Eliza Collins, 
John Lippitt, senior, John Potter, John Sweet, Sam. Stafford, 
James Sweet, Amos Westcott, Samuel Gorton, Jun., John 
Wickes, Jun., Jeremy Westcott, William Eaton. — Thomas 
Scranton adged 25 yeares or thereabouts being engaged, did 
testify before ye Crowner and jury that on ye 18th of February 
1655, three howers within night John Eead, father in law to 
Mary Samon, came to Mr. Anthony Low's house to desire him, 
ye said Thomas Scranton with a lanthorne and candle to seeke 
for his daughter in law Mary Samon, who was sent to fetch wa- 
ter at ye brooke and came not againe. When they came to ye 
brooke they found ye said Mary Samon drowned in ye middle 
of ye brooke; and Mr. Anthony Low testif'yeth that it was three 
howers within night when John Read aforesaid came to borrow 
a lanthorne and candle which was readily lent. The verdict of 
ye jury February ye 18th 1665: Wee ye grand iiiqviest doe find 
that Mary Samon being about eyght or nyne years of age was 
sent by her mother in a very dark night ahme to a brooke by 
Mr. Low's to fetch water and was found in ye brooke drowned.'' 

Anthony Low resided in Warwick from the year 1656, when he 
was admitted a freeman, until the breaking out of the Indian 
War. His house with others having been burnt by the Indians 
in March, 1676, he went to Swanzey, where he continued to re- 
side. He is the person referred to by Capt. Church, " who 
volunteered from friendship, and the interest he felt in the 

* The name Eliza as a masculine preuomen and that of Philip as a 
feminine seems to have been in use at this time. The former occurs 
several times in the town records to designate the same individual, 
though written by different persons. He is referred to as "Lieut. 
lEliza Collins" in a few instances. Mr. Bartlett in R. I. Col. Rec. iii. 3, 
has it spelt Elza. Philip Greene was the wife of John Greene senior, 
as written in his last will. Eliza Collins was the son of Thomas Col- 
lins, who married Abigail House. Thomas Collins' children were, 
Eliza, born Nov. 17, 1()!»3; William, February 8, l(i95; Thomas, Jan. 31, 
1696; Sarah, Oct. 31, 1698; Thankful, Aug. 27, 1700; Anna, July 16, 1707; 
Samuel, May 30, 1709; Abigail, Nov. 20, 1711; the last three by a sec- 
ond wife. 



1663-67.] CORRESPONDENCE WITH WILLIAMS. 63 

success of his cause, to carry him from Newport to Sognacate, 
and thence to Sandwich, iu July, 1676, at the risk of vessel and 
cargo." Updike^ s Nar rag an sett, 2^- 391. 

Thomas Stafford came from Warwickshire, England. About 
1626 he was an inhabitant of Plymouth colony, whence he re- 
moved to Providence, where he erected the first grist mill in 
Rhode Island, which was situated at the north end of the town, 
near the mill bridge. Without remaining there long, he re- 
moved to Old Warwick and spent the remainder of his days. 
He secured for himself a considerable tract of land at the head 
of mill cove, including the present mill site, where he erected 
another grist mill. He lived on the north side of the mill 
stream where stands the house owned by Amos Greene, and 
was formerly the pi'operty of the Lippitt family. He had three 
sons, viz.: Thomas, Samuel and Joseph; and three daughters, 
Deborah, Hannah and Sarah. Thomas married Jane Dodge, 
Samuel married Mercy Westcott, daughter of Stukely "West- 
cott, and Joseph married Sarah Holden, daughter of Randall 
Holden. 

Samuel Stafford succeeded to his father's estate, where he 
died at the advanced age of 83, leaving two sons, Thomas and 
Amos. Thomas inherited the homestead, including the mill, 
and Amos fixed his residence about half a mile northwest, 
where he built a house (which was burnt in the occupancy of 
his grandson Thomas, in the year 1767, being on the same spot 
where the mansion house now stands.) He (Amos) had thir- 
teen children, only five of whom survived him, viz.: two sons, 
Samuel and Amos, and three daughters, Marj^, Marcy and 
Preelove." 

During the early histor}'- of the colony the several 
towns comprising it were exceedingly jealous of their 
individual rights, and were on the constant lookout lest 
those lights should be infringed. They were free and 
outspoken in their condemnation of any measure that 
did not meet with their approval. In 1662 the town 
received a letter respecting the rate that had been levied 
upon the several towns in behalf of Mr. John Clarke, 
their agent in England. The town had delayed the 
matter of collecting the amount assigned to it, which 
had occasioned the use of somewhat strong language on 
the part of Mr. Williams. A letter was returned in 
answer to clear it from the "aspertion that seems to be 
layd upon the town for not levying the said rates." 
Further correspondence followed in regard to the matter, 



64 HISTOKY OF WAKWICK. [1663-67. 

and, at a general training the 26th of March, 1666, 
"Mr. Williams, his letter being read at ye head of ye 
company, it was voated that ye saide letter was a per- 
nissious letter, and that what was contained therein, 
tended to stir up strifes, devisions and contentions in ye 
towne of Warwick, and that ye towne clarke doe record 
this vote and send Mr. Williams a coppie of ye same as 
ye towne's answer to ye same letter, no man dissenting 
from this voate." 

The Warwick letter was considered by the General 
Assembly, which appears to have coincided with Mr. 
Williams' view in regard to the matter, as it was ordered 
" that a letter be sent to them from the court to provocke 
and stir them up to pay the rate spee:lylie." 

"July 2, 1666. Ordered that John Garyardy who hath con- 
fessed himselfe to be a thiefe and stands convict in a court of 
record for stealing, bee not for ye future admitted to have any- 
thing to doe in ye towne meetings, but is by this order ex- 
punged ye socj'ety of honest men, which order did pass upjion a 
bill presented by Edmund Calverly Town (,'larke." 

On page 148 of town records (transcribed edition) the bound- 
aries of Edward Calverly's land are given. He had f ortj'-two 
acres on " Horse Neck," the east line running from Oakland 
Beach point up Warwick cove to the lands of Samuel Gorton. 
He afterwards received forty-two acres adjoining from Anna 
Smith, widow of John Smith, and Eliza Collins. John 
Sweet's land was to the westward and adjoining Calverlj^'s. 
Samuel Gorton's land was at the head of the cove. A portion 
of it still remains in possession of his descendants. The debris 
of an old dwelling destroyed many years ago may still be seen 
upon the estate, which was built at a period antedating the 
memory of any person now living. 

In November, 1663, the colony of Rhode Island for- 
mally adopted the Royal Charter granted by Charles 
2d, which was obtained through the agency of the Rev. 
John Clarke.* 

In January, 1664-65, f Sir Robert Carr, George Cart - 
Wright and Samuel Maverick arrived at Newport, autho- 



* Mr. Clarke was the founder and first pastor of the First Ba]^tist 
Church at Newport. Knowles' Koger Williams, p. 'S-W. 

t In Old Style the year comuieuced on the ioth of March. The cor- 
rection of the calender by Pope Gregory, in 158-*, was not adopted b3' 



1663-67.] TOWN KECORDS MUTILATED. 65 

rized to act as the king's commissioners to regulate the 
offices of the several colonies of New England. The 
commission had been appointed in view of the com- 
plaints that had been received by the home government. 
The commissioners were favorably received, and in due 
time presented several propositions to the General As- 
sembly of Rhode Island, among which were the follow- 
ing : 

" It is his majesty's will and pleasure, 

1. That all householders inhabiting this colony take the oath 
of allegiance, and that the administration of justice be in the 
king's name. 

4. That all the laws and expressions in laws derogatory to 
his majesty, if any such have been made in these late troublous 
times, may be repealed, altered and taken off the files." 

In view of this last proposition, the town, by a special 
order, caused a portion of its records, containing its sub- 
mission to the Commonwealth under Cromwell, to be 
destroyed. The portion destroyed was the 13th and 
part of the 14th leaf, the latter containing the signatures 
of the settlers. A portion of the " submission " remains, 
with a majority of the signatures. On a vacant portion 
of the preceding page is the following entry : 

" This leafe was torn out by order of ye Towne the 29th of 
June, 1667, it being ye submition to ye stat of England with- 
out ye king's majesty, it being ye 13th page." 

The Indians under Pomham still continued to reside 
at Shawomet, and were a source of much trouble. 
Pomham lacked many of those nobler qualities which 



the British Parliament until 1751, when it was ordered that eleven 
days should be struck out of September, 1752, and the third of that 
month was recorded the fourteenth. The lattar mode of reckoning is 
called New Style, and the year then commenced on the first of Janu- 
ary. Before tlie year 1752, a confusion of dates was liable, it being 
difiScult to determine whether January, February and a part of March 
closed one year or began the next. Heuce the mode of double dates 
as above, which is January, 1G65, New Style. In order to find the 
day of the month in New Style cnrresponding to a given day of any 
month iu Old Style, consider the latter as eleven days in advance of 
the former. For instance, Jan. 1st, 16(34:, Old Style, corresponds to 
Jan. 12, 1665, New Style. 

*6 



66 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1663-67. 

distinguished several of the other sachems, and the time 
had now come when efforts were to be made for his 
removah The settlers were not sufficiently powerful 
to reduce them to subjection, and the Assembly had been 
appealed to in vain to afford them protection. The 
policy of both the town and State had been one of peace 
toward them as far as the nature of the case would per- 
mit. But matters had arrived at such a state that it was 
clearly seen that the habits of the two races were such 
that little hope could be entertained of their dwelling 
together without the constant and increasing danger of 
an outbreak that av ould lead to the total destruction of 
the one or the other race. The arrival of the king's 
commissioners afforded the settlers an opportunity to lay 
their grievances before them, which they accordingly 
did, and negotiations were soon entered into between 
them that promised speedy relief. These efforts, as we 
shall see, though not immediately resulting in their re- 
moval, prepared the way for it. Clouds were gathering 
over the colony, and a storm, fearful and destructive, was 
soon to break forth which would forever settle the con- 
troversy, sending destruction to the homes of the settlers 
and death or banishment to Pomham and his followers. 
The following order was issued : 

" Wee, by the power given us by the King's Commissioners, 
haveing heard the complaint of the towne of Warwicke, doe 
order and appoint that Pumham and the Indians with him shall 
plant their corne this yeare upon the neck of land which they 
have so long detained from the said towne and that before the 
next planting time, he, and all the Indians with him shall re- 
move to some other place ouL of the King's Province jDrovided 
for them by such as they have subjected themselves unto, or 
to some place appointed for them by Pessicus. We alsoe order 
and appoint, that as soone as they are ready to remove, and 
give notice to Mr. Gorton before they remove, the towne of 
Warwicke shall give unto the said Pumham twenty pound at 
eight pennj-; and if Pumham and those with him shall subject 
themselves to Pessicus, and that the said Pessicus provide a 
place for him, and them within the King's Province, then the 
town of Warwicke shall also give tenu jDOunds at eight a penny 
to Pessicus as a present. Given under our hands and seales at 
Warwicke April the 7th, 1665." 

The above is signed by the three commissioners. 



1663-67.] EFFORTS TO REMOVE THE INDIANS. 67 

The following deed of acquittance was signed by 
Cheesechamut, Nawshwahcowet and Assowawet, and 
duly witnessed by Sir Robert Carr and five of the War- 
wicke men : 

" Know all men by these presents, that I Cheesechamut 
eldest Sonne of Pumham having received of the gentlemen of 
Warwick the summe of thirty pounds in peag at eight a penny 
and upon promise to receive the summe of ten pounds more in 
like pay of the said gentlemeu, do hereby in the name, and on 
behalfe of my father and myselfe with the rest of our company, 
promise to depart from and quit that tract of land commonly 
called and known by the name of "VVarwicke neck, as also all 
the province now called the King's Province, formerly the 
Narragansett country, immediately on the receipt of the said 
summe of ten pounds; and not at any time thereafter to re- 
turne to inhabit in the aforesaid place or places. In witness 
whereof I the said Cheesechamut, have herevmto put my hand 
the 28th day of December, 1665, at Mr. Smith's trading house." 

The foregoing, with a letter of Sir Robert Carr to Mr. 
Gorton and Capt. Holden ; a testimonial of five War- 
wick men that the ten pounds promised to Pumham had 
been delivered to him ; an order from Commissioner 
Carr for Pumham to remove ; one from the missionary 
John Elliot intercedincr in behalf of Pumham ; Sir Rob- 
ert's reply to Elliot ; Roger Williams' letter to Carr 
relating to the matter, and one of Carr to Lord Arling- 
ton relative to Pumham and Warwick affairs, were col- 
lected by Hon. John R. Bartlett, late Secretary of State, 
and may be found in R. I. Col. Rec. II. 132-8. 

Reference has already been made to the famous tax 
of six hundred pounds, levied in 1664, and apportioned 
among the several towns. William Harris, the assistant 
from Providence, was chief of the committee for its col- 
lection, and between him and some of the leaders in 
this town a sharp controversy existed because of the 
vigorous measures he had adopted in regard to the 
matter. Harris had previously occasioned so much 
trouble in the Assembly that he had been deposed from 
office, but in March, 1668-9, had been returned, and an 
Assembly order had been passed " that a pending indict- 



68 HISTOBY OF WARWICK. [1663-67. 

ment should not prevent any general officer, fairly 
elected, from holding his office." The Newport mem- 
bers sustained Harris, and on the January preceding had 
sent a letter to Warwick, which called forth the follow- 
ing answer, which, as Mr. Arnold justly observes, " de- 
serves a place among the curiosities of legislation. The 
writing bears the date of March 25th, 1669. 

" Yoted upon the reading of a letter directed to ' Mr. Ed- 
mund Calverly and Mr. John Greene and the rest of that fac- 
tion,' &c. desiring to be communicated to the honest inhabit- 
ants of Warwicke town, subscribed John Cranston to the end of 
the chapter, dated the 2(Jth January, 1668, and finding the same 
doth not answer the town's letter to that part of the committee, 
&c., who reside at Newport, touching the rate; but is full of 
uncivil language. ****** Therefore the town unani- 
mously do condemn the same and think it not fit to be put 
amongst the records of the town, but do order that the clerk 
put in on a tile where imjiertinent papers shall be for the future ; 
to the end that those persons who have not learned in the 
school of good manners how to speak to men in the language 
of sobriety (if they be sought for) may be there found." 

I have made dilgent incj^uiries respecting this '■'■ file," but have 
no I been able to find it. It doubtless containefl other curiosities, 
and among them the " iDcruissious" letter of Roger Williams. 
It was afterwards referred to, and received a still more vigor- 
ous title, which we forbear mentioning. The curious reader 
may find the title in the town records vuider date of Oct. 18, 

1669, when a letter of William Harris was consigned to its 
keeping. Harris himself was warned the following month 
" not to enier the town without leave," and such was the feel- 
ing against him that had he aone so the inhabitants would have 
put him upon the same file — metaphorically. 

At a meeting of the General Assembly, June 29, 

1670, held in this town, a rate of three hundred pounds 
was ordered for an agent to England. Dr. John Clarke 
and Mr. John Greene were appointed "• to bee agents 
jointly to be commissiouated in the Collonyes behalfe to 
goe to England to vindicate the said charter before his 
gratious majestye." * 

An error in the records assigns this session to New- 
port. But from the minutes of the Governor and mag- 

* R. I. Col. Rec. II. 338-9. 



1663-67.] DEPUTY GOVERNOR GREENE. 69 



istrates of Newport, held the Friday previous, and those 
held the October following, it is evident the place was 
Warwick. 

Major John Greene, son of John, senior, married Ann Almy, 
daughter of William Almy, of Portsmoutli. He held at dilfer- 
ent limes the otfices of General Recorder, General Attorney, 
and General Solicitor. In company with the Eev. John Clarke, 
(a man whom the colony delighted to honor) he was appointed 
an agent to England to attend to important matters pertaining 
to the interests "of the Colony. He was in office a considerable 
portion of his life, and from 1090 to 1700 was annuall}^ elected 
to the office of Deputy Governor. He had eleven children, 
Deborah, the eldest, was born August 10, 1649, and Samuel, the 
youngest, January 30, 1670-1. The latter mariied the daughter 
of Benjamin Gorton, one. of the sons of Samuel Gorton, senior. 
He lived at Apponaug, in a house torn down within the memory 
of persons now living. It stood in back of the house now 
owned and occupied by Samuel Grfene, on the southwest cor- 
ner of the Centreville and Greenwich roads. A portion of the 
old timbers were used in the erection of the present house. In 
the old burial place at Occu}Dasneluxet, on tombstones still well 
preserved, may be seen the following inscriptions : 

Here lyeth the Here lyeth the body 

body of lohn Greene, Esq. of Ann ye wife of 

& late debt'* Gover °y Major lohn Greene 

he departed this life She deceased in the 

in ye 89th vear of his age 82d year of her age 

Novem brye 27th, 1708. May ye 0th, 1709. 

In June 1671, the town petitioned the General Assem- 
bly "to have the inhabitants and the lands of Mashanta- 
tat added to the town.* The petition was referred to 
the next meeting of the Assembly, but I find Jio subse- 
quent action taken in the matter. On the following 
October the sum of forty shillings was assessed upon the 
inhabitants of this place as its portion of the two hun- 
dred pounds levied upon the colony. Warwick at the 
same time had the sum of X22 15s. assessed as its portion. 

The following is a price list of certain articles at this period : 
" Pork 3d. or 2 1-2 cents per pound-, peas, 3s. 6d. or 29 1-2 cts. 
per bushel; wool 12d. or 8 cts. per pound; butter 6d. or 4 1-2 

* Mashantatat was also written MosLanticut and Mashantatuck, 
and sonietiiiies abbreviated to Shanticut and Shantic. It, was situat- 
ed along the river of that name to the north of Matick and west of 
Oaklawn in the present town of Cranston. 



70 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1663-67. 



cts. per pound; corn 3s. or 25 els. per bushel; oats 2s. 3il. or 28 1-2 
cts. per bushel.* Forty shillings of the K'ew England cur- 
rency was equivalent to thirty shillings English currency. 

In 1675 the severe conflict between the Indians and the 
several colonies of New England, generally known as 
Philip's war, broke out, sending desolation on every 
hand. Though the Rhode Island colony can hardly be 
said to have taken an active part in it, her geographical 
position caused her to suffer as much, if not more, than 
either of the other colonies. This town was destined to 
be one of the chief sufferers. With danger threatening 
them on every hand and without adequate means of pro- 
tection, the inhabitants sought safety in voluntary exile 
on the island of Aquidneck, where they remained for 
more than a year. Every house in the town, with the 
single exception of one built of stone, was destroyed, and 
all their improvements laid waste. It will not be neces- 
sary to trace the causes that led to the war or relate its 
details. Its general outlines may be given in order to 
obtain a fair understanding of the terror and danger to 
which the settlers were subjected. 

The storm had been gathering for several years. The 
relations between the Indians and whites had been grow- 
ing more and more unsatisfactory since the tragical death 
of Miantonomi. It was one of the traits of the Indian 
character never to forget an injury, and the death of the 
Narragansett chief at the instigation of the United Com- 
missioners seems never to have been forgiven. But this 
of itself would have been allowed to pass unrevenged, 
had there not been other causes that consjDired to bring 
about the same result. The Narragansetts as a tribe 
were friendly to the settlers of the Rhode Island colony, 
and were only eventually brought into the conflict by 
the peculiar position in which they were placed, and by 
strong influences brought to bear ujjon then^ by the 
more warlike tribes to the eastward. Philip,f the second 

* R. I. Col. Records. 

t Philip's Indian name Avas Pometacom or Metacomet. His Eng- 
lish name, Philip, by which he is now more generally known was 
given him at Plymouth Court about 1(55(3, or according to Mather in 
1662. Morton's Memorial 286-7 and Drake, Book iii. p. 6. 



1663-67.] KING PHILIP'S WAR. 71 

son of Massasoit, sometimes called "the good old Massa- 
soit," was the chief of the Wampauoags, and had his 
principal residence at Mt. Hope. His elder brother 
Wamsutta, had succeeded his father as sachem, and had 
fallen under suspicion of the settlers in the neighboring 
colony, and pending some efforts on their part to learn 
his disposition toward them, had suddenly sickened and 
died. Philip succeeded his brother as sachem, and in 
1671 the English at Plymouth suspecting him of plotting 
against them, summoned him before them. Philip at 
first denied the charge, but in view of the strong proofs 
brought against him he tinally made a confession. How 
extensive were the preparations made at this time does 
not appear, or whether he contemplated a general up- 
rising of all the tribes that subsequently were brought 
into the alliance, it is impossible, perhaps, to determine. 
Sufficient was revealed to awaken the alarm of the col- 
onists, and lead them to take immediate and activeme as- 
ures for their protection. 

His hostile intention having been discovered, Philip 
was obliged to submit for the time being to the demands 
of Plymouth colony. With four of his chief counsellors 
he signed an act of submission, agreeing to give up all 
the arms in possession of his people into the hands of 
the Governor of Plymouth, to be kept as long as the 
government should see reason to hold them. Subse- 
quently a new exaction was made of him, requiring him 
to pay £100 in three years to the colony of Plymouth, 
and five wolves' heads annually thereafter, and neither 
to sell his lands or to make war without their consent. 
The agreement was submitted to only as a matter of pe- 
cessity, the alternative being immediate war. The wily 
chief, knowing that he Avas unprepared for such an al- 
ternative, submitted as patiently as possible, but his rest- 
less, ind'ependent spirit was by no means subdued. He 
saw that the demands of the white men were becoming 
more and more severe upon his people. They would 
soon become the sole possessors of the soil and drive 
them from their territory, unless united and active 



72 HISTORY OF WARWICK, [1663-67. 

measures were taken to prevent it. They were becom- 
ing stronger day by day, while his people were becoming 
weaker. They who had been received in kindness in 
the period of their weakness, had requited that kindness 
by severity when they had become strong. If they 
would recover their lost power, or retain what they still 
possessed, they must unite their forces for the destruction 
of the invaders of their soil. Such seem to have been the 
views of Philip in his attempts to consolidate the Indian 
forces previous to the actual breaking out of the war. 

The 1 olio wing eloquent reply of Philip to Mr. John 
Borden, a friend of Philip, who tried to dissuade him 
from the contemplated war, copied from the Foster pa- 
pers, and given by Gov. Arnold, shows with what clear- 
ness his mind apprehended the state of affairs. 

"The English who came first to this country were but a 
handfnl of people, forlorn, poor, and distressed. My father 
was then sachem. He reUeved Iheir distresses in the most kind 
and hospitable manner. He gave ihem land to build and plant 
upon. He did all in his power to serve them. Others of their 
countrymen came and joined them. Their numbers rapidly 
increased. My father's counsellors became uheasy and alarmed 
lest, as they were possessed of fire arms, which Avas not the case 
of the Indians, they should finally undertake to give law to the 
Indians and take fi'om ihem their country. They therefore ad- 
vised him to destroy them before they should become too strong 
and it should be too late. My father was also the father of 
the English. He represented to his counsellors and warriors 
that the English knew many sciences which the Indians did not, 
that they improved and cultivated the earth, and raised cattle and 
fruits, and that there was sufficient room for both the English 
and the Indians. His advice prevailed. They concluded to give 
victuals to the English. They flourished and increased. Ex- 
perience taught that the advice of my lather's counsellors was 
right. By various means they got possession of a great part of 
his territory. But he still remained tlieir friend till he died. 
My elder brother became sachem. They pi'etended to suspect 
him of evil designs against them. He was seized and confined, 
and thereby thrown into sickness and died. Soon after I be- 
came sachem they disarmed all my people. They tried my 
people by their own laws, and assessed damages which they 
could not pay. Their laud was taken. At length a line of di- 
vision was agreed upon between the English and my people, 
and I myself was to be responsible. Sometimes the cattle of 



1663-G7.J KING Philip's wak. 73 

the English would come into the com fields of my people, for 
they did not make fences like the English. I must then be 
seized and confined till I sold another tract of my country for 
satisfaction of all damages and costs. Thus tract after tract is 
gone. But a small part of ihe dominion of my ancestors remains. 
I am determined not to live till I have no country." 

Negotiations between Philip and the other sachems 
were commenced, looking to a union of the different 
tribes, with the intention of commencing the war as soon 
as the necessary arrangements could be effected. The 
war was finally commenced, sooner than was intended. 

The first blood was shed on the 24th of June, 1675, 
"when eight or nine of the English were slain in and 
about Swansy."* The next day other troops arrivedand 
the whole were placed under command of Major Savage, 
who proceeded to the Indian country intending to break 
up the headquarters of Philip at Mt. Hope. But the In- 
dians had deserted the place, leaving the hciids and 
hands of the slaughtered English stuck upon poles by 
the wayside. Philip had gone over to Pocasset, whither 
Church, who afterwards so distinguished himself, fol- 
lowed them. To prevent, if possible, the Narragansetts 
from joining the forces of Philip, commissioners were sent 
to them, and the Massachusetts troops followed to en- 
force the terms that might be dictated. They found the 
villages of Pomham deserted. He had joined the com- 
mon foe. A general war was now commenced, for a de- 
tailed account of which the reader is referred to Hub- 
bard's Indian Wars, (yhurch's History of Philip's War, 
etc. Only a few of the more important events can be 
noted in the present account. Hubbard, at the end of 
his narrative, says that eighteen houses were burned at 
Providence, June 2Sth, 1675 and on the 29th of March 
following, fifty-four more. Arnold credits the latter 
but doubts the former statement. 

In July, 1675, Philip, accompanied by Weetamo, join- 
ed the Nipmucks who had also taken up arms against the 
EngHsh. Brookfield, Mass., was burnt. Hatfield, Had- 



* Hubbard's Narrative, p. 59. 

7 



74 HISTOBY OF WABWICK. [1663-67. 

ley, Deerfield, Northfield and Springfield were attacked, 
and many of the inhabitants killed and their houses de- 
stroyed. The Narragansetts received and gave shelter 
to the hostile Indians in violation of their compulsory 
treat} , but had not yet taken any active part in the con- 
flict It was feared that they would join the hostile In- 
dians in the spring, and the United Colonies resolved to 
send an army of a thousand men into their country. 
The Narragansetts were ordered to give up PhiHp's fol- 
lowers who had taken refuge among them. Tliese ap- 
pear to have been chiefly women and children. The 
haughty reply of Canonchet, son and successor of Mian- 
tonomi, who remembered the sad fate of his father is 
worthy of record, displaying as it does the honorable spirit 
of the brave sachem : "Not a Wampanoag, nor the par- 
ing of a Wampanoag's nail shall be delivered up." Can- 
onchet, alias Nanuntehoo, "was heir to all his father's 
pride and insolency, as well as of his malice against the 
English." The remark needs qualifying. The Narra- 
gansetts as a body, and especially its successive sachems, 
had ample reasons for a dislike to the Massachusetts col- 
ony. Their friendship for the colonists of Rhode Island 
was manifested in many ways, and doubtless would have 
been continued indefinitely but for the many unjust and 
oppressive acts of the other colonies, which had led them 
to doubt the integrity of the English generally. 

The reply of Canonchet caused all future attempts at 
reconciliation to be abandoned. A force of eleven hun- 
dred and thirty-five men was raised,f besides volunteers 
that joined it as it marched through Providence and this 
town. The whole army was under command of Gov. 
Winslow, of Plymouth. Bull's garrison house at South 
Kingston was attacked in December, and fifteen persons 
were slain, only two escaping. 

On the next day, (Dec. 19,) the army were on the 
march to the place where the Indians had taken refuge 
in the middle of a swamp, where they were found 



* Arnold, i, 401. 



1663-67.] PC>MHAm's wigwams BURNED. 75 

strongly fortified. Here occurred the celebrated "Swamp" 
battle, which has been so minutely described by Church, 
who was one of the principal actors in it, and others, 
that it need not be related in detail. Eighty of the En- 
ghsh were slain and one hundred and fifty wounded. 
Captains Davenport, Gardner, Johnson, Gallop and Mar- 
shall were killed. The principal part of those wounded 
in the battle were afterwards carried to Rhode Island 
where they were taken care of until the greater part of 
them recovered. Eight of them died there.* Hutchin- 
son further states that when they left the fort they had 
about 210 dead and wounded. They left eight dead in 
the fort and brought twelve away with them. Within 
the enclosure or fort were some five hundred Indian wig- 
wams which were set on fire, in the flames of which per- 
ished not less than three hundred of the sick and wound- 
ed, the infant and aged. The entire loss of the Indians 
in killed, wounded and prisoners, was not less than one 
•thousand, including those who perished in the burning 
wigwams. This was the principal battle of the war, al 
though afterward there were several skirmishes, and 
many towns and villages were burned. 

On the 27th of December, Capt. Prentice was sent 
into this town, where he burnt nearly a hundred of 
Pomham's wigwams, but the Indians had departed. 
Pomham joined his fortunes with the othej: tribes, and 
was afterward killed near Dedham, Massachusetts, in an 
engagement.! At about the same time one of his sons 
was also taken prisoner, who, according to Hubbard, 
would have received some consideration from his captors 
on account of his prepossessing countenance, "had he not 
belonged to so bloody and barbarous an Indian as his 
father was." 

The injury inflicted upon the Indians by the destruc- 
tion of their wigwams was fully avenged on the 17th of 
the following March, when a party of the natives fell 
upon the town and utterly destroyed it. Governor 



* Hutchinson, i, 301. f Judge Potter. 



76 



HISTOKY OF WARWICK. 



[1663-67. 



Arnold says " the town was utterly destroyed, except 
one house built of stone, which could not be destroyed." 



4vl \ 'ii I ^ 







The Old Stone Castle, a cut of which is given on this 
'page, is from a pencil sketch, made under the direction of 



1663-67.] DEATH OF JOHN WICKES. 77 



persons who had intimate personal recollections of it, and pro- 
nounced by them to be a correct representation of the ancient 
structure. John Smith was a stone mason by trade, which ac- 
counts, in part, for the material of his domicil. He was 
President of the Colony at the time his house was being built. 
In 1652, he was chosen President of Providence and Warwick, 
the other two towns, N^ewport and Portsmouth, having with- 
drawn from the compact and set up for themselves. He died 
in the early pai't of the year 1664, being at the time Assistant 
for Warwick. Randall Holden was chosen to fill the vacancy 
occasioned by his death. He married, I think, a widow Sweet, 
and the estate went into the Sweet family, thence into the pos- 
session of Thomas Greene, youngest son of John Greene, 
Senior. The decendauts of Thomas Greene, from this circum- 
stance, have been styled the " Stone Castle Greenes." 
Thomas Greene purchased a dwelling house on ihe opposite 
side of the road, and in 1795, had the old house demolished, 
which he afterwards regretted. The materials were converted 
into the cellar wal.s of the dwelling that stands near the site 
of the old castle, and the v.'^alls upon the farm. It stood on 
the north side of the road leading from Old Warwick to Appo- 
naug. The old castle was doubtless regarded as a place of 
safety to which the inhabitants might fly in times of danger. 
In the old cemetery, afew rods from the house, were buried in 
separate graves the head and body of John VVickes, the only 
person in this town, who is known to have been slain in the 
Indian war, thus allowing the only dwelling in town that sur- 
vived the Indian war, and the only man that was killed to re- 
main in close proximity for upwaids of a century. The estate 
is now owned by Mr. George Anthony. 

The following account of the death of John Wickes, 
is taken from Updike's Narraganset Cliurch : 

"In relation to his death there is this tradition : That on 
the approach of danger, when garrisons had been provided and 
the inhabitants generally had repaired to them, he could not be 
persuaded that he required any protection against the natives. 
From his past experience of their uniform kindness and good- 
will towards him personally, he was slow to believe himself in 
danger, and to the oft-repeated admonitions of his friends to 
be more careful of his safety, his answer was that he had no 
fears of injury from the Indians — that they would not hurt 
him. With this mistaken confidence in their fidelity, he ven- 
tured beyond the protection of the garrisons; and going at 
evening into the woods in search of his cows, he did not 
return. His fate was first known to his friends on seeing his 
head set upon a pole near his own dwelling on the following 
morning. This thej immediately — and before venturing in 
*7 



78 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1663-67. 

search of the body— buried near the stone garrison and within 
a few rods of it. The body, which was found on tlie succeed- 
ing day, was interred beside the head, but in a distinct grave; 
and two little hillocks, which mark the spot are still shown as 
the grave of John Wickes." 

His dwelling house was on the corner leading to Rocky 
Point, nearly opposite the old Quaker Meeting House. It 
stood a short distance in the rear of the present residence of 
Mr. Thomas Wickes Gardiner. It was torn down about the year 
1838. Thomas Wickes, a son of John, Senior, was a repre- 
sentative in the General Assembly for several years, and for 
more than twenty consecutive years (1715-1738), Assistant, a 
position corresponding to that of State Senator of the present 
day. He was Town Clerk from 1712 to his death in 1742, with 
the exception of the year 1720. His descendants are numerous 
in the State. One of the Coweset farms, set off in 1684, lying 
about a mile east of Eocky Hill School House, still remains in 
possession of his descendants, the present occupant being Mr. 
Oliver A. Wickes. 

April 4, 1676. Canoncliet, the Narragansett sachem, 
was surprised and taken near Pawtucket or Blackstone 
river, where he and about thirty of his men had gone to 
get seed corn to plant their grounds. When first dis- 
covered he sought safety in flight, and was so hard 
pressed that he was obliged to throw off his blanket, 
which had been presented to him in Boston in October, 
and finally his belt of peage. He then took to the water, 
and accidental!}' " wet his gun, when, as he afterwards 
said, his heart and bowels turned within him so that he 
became void of strength as a rotten stick." Robert Stan- 
ton, the first Englishman that came up to him, being 
about twenty-one years old, the sachem looked disdain- 
fully upon his youthful face and saiC in broken English, 
" You much cJiild, no understand matters of war; let your 
brother or your chief come^ him will 1 answer J'^ He was 
oftered his life if he would persuade the Narragansetts 
to submit, which he rejected, and said he wished " to hear 
no more about it." He was told that lie must die then, 
to which he bravely replied, '' 1 like it tvell. I shall die 
before my heart is soft, or I have said anything unworthy 
of myself. ^^ * Arnold says, " To insure the fidelity of 

* Hubbard. 



1663-67.] DEATH OF KING PHILIP. 79 

the friendly tribes by committing them to a deed that 
would forever deter the Narragansetts from seeking their 
alliance, it was arranged that each of them should take 
a part in his execution. Accordingly the Pequots shot 
him, the Mohegans cut off his head and quartered him, 
and the Niantics, who had joined the English, burned 
his body and sent his head as " a token of love and loy- 
alty to the Commissioners at Hartford."' 

Canonchet was the last great sachem of the Narra- 
gansetts and the chief supporter of Phillip, who was 
now left comparatively alone. If there was any more 
barbarous treatment of a prisoner of war in the annals 
of savage or civilized warfare upon this continent than 
that meted out to this brave enemy, by a professedly 
civilized and Christian people, we have failed to notice it. 

July 3. "The Englit^h army marched to the south, and sur- 
prised them in a cedar swamp near Warwick. A great 
slaughter ensued. Magnus, the old queen of the Narragan- 
setts, a sister of Ninigret, was taken, and with ninety other 
captives was put to the sword. One hundred and seventy-one 
Indians fell in this massacre, without the loss of a single man 
of the English. Thence they scoured the country between 
Providence and Warwick, killing many more." 

"Capt. Church was commissioned by Gov. Winslow to pro- 
ceed with a volunteer force of two hundred men, chiefly In- 
dians, to attack Philip in his retreats near Mount Hope. For 
several days they pursued the Indians from place to place, kill- 
ing many and taking a large number of prisoners, among 
wiiom were Philip's wife and only son." 

Philip was subsequently pursued into a swamp near 
Mt. Hope, where he was shot through the heart by 
Alderman, an Indian, whose brother Philip had indig- 
nantly slain because he had counselled him to sue for 
peace. Thus perished Metacomet, who had declared 
that he would not live until he had no country. The 
same barbarous treatment that had been practiced upon 
the dead body ot Canonchet, was followed upon that of 
Phihp. The head was sent to Plymouth, where it re- 
mained set up on a pole for twenty years ; one hand was 
sent to Boston as a troDhy, and the other was given to 
Alderman, who exhibited it for money. The body was 



80 HISTORY OF WABWICK. [1663-67. 



quartered and hung upon four trees as a vivid illustra- 
tion of the barbarity of the age. Philip's chief coun- 
sellor, Anawon, escaped from the s\yamp with most of 
Philip's followers, but was a few days after captured by 
Capt. Church, who sent him alive to Plymouth, where 
he was shot. Most of the other captives who were at 
all conspicuous for their bravery or position met a simi- 
lar fate. Quinapin, a cousin of Canonchet, and next in 
command to him in the great swamp fight, with his 
brother was tried at Newport by a council of war, and 
shot. The young Metacomet, son of Philip, with many 
other captives, was sent to Spain and the West Indies, 
where they were sold as slaves. 

The war was now at an end. It had been the most 
fearful conflict that had ever visited the colonies, and 
such an one as was not to be repeated until a century 
had rolled away. No further resistance of any extent 
on the part of the Indians was made. But the besom 
of destruction had swept over the fair plantation of 
Warwick. Not only had the homes of its inhabitants 
been laid waste, but their bridges and other improve- 
ments had been all destroyed, and they themselves forced 
into exile for security. During the war they had found 
a temporary home at Newport, where they were kindly 
received and permitted to hold their town meetings for 
the choice of deputies and jurors, as formerly. 



1667-1776.] RETURN OF THE SETTLE:^S. 



81 



* CHAPTER V. 

From the close of the Indian War to the Declaration of Ameri- 
can Independence, July 4, 1776. 

The war being now over the people of Warwick in 
the spring of 1677 returned to their desolated homes, 
and with hearts undaunted commenced at once to repair 
their wasted heritage, and provide for themelves and 
those dependent upon them. In a temporal point of 
view, the conflict, notwithstanding the destruction of 
their homes and improvements, was of real benefit to 
them. The great hindrance to their comfort, their 
security and progress had been essentially removed. 
The balance of power between them and the 
Indians was now in their favor. The Indians 
were now timid and supj)liant, rather than bold 
and threatening. Pumham had been taken out of their 
way, and his followers, what few of them remained, 
were no longer to be feared. The broad domains of the 
settlers were comparatively without encumbrance. Sadly, 
as we must regard the causes that led to this superior 
position attained by the war, on the part of our towns- 
men, we cannot regard them otherwise than as resulting in 
their great benefit. That they had so little to do in 
bringing about the result is certainly no matter of regret. 

Two of their number, who were of the original 
twelve, John Wickes and Richard Carder, the latter 
having died during their sojourn at Newport, were no 
longer with them, and before the year closed, another 
and in some sense their chief, was called away. Samuel 
Gorton died between the 27th of November and the 



82 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1667-1776. 

10th of December, 1677. The following tribute to his 
memory b}'^ Gov. Arnold, is taken from the first volume 
of his able history of Rhode Island : 

"The death of Samuel Gorton, the founder of "Warwick, 
which occurred at this time, should not be passed over in 
silence. He was one of the most remarkable men that' ever 
lived. His career furnishes an apt illustration of the radical- 
ism in action, which may spring from ultra-consi rvatistn in 
theory. The turbulence of his earlier histoiy was the result of 
a disregard for existing law, because it was not based upon 
what he held to be the only legitimate source of power — the 
assent of the supreme authority of England. He denied the 
right of the people to self-government, and contended for his 
views with the vigor of an unrivalled intellect, and the 
strength of an uugoverned passion. But when this point was 
conceded, by the securing of a patent, no man was more sub- 
missive to delegated law. His astuteness of mind, and his 
Biblical learning, made him a formidable opponent of the 
Puritan hierarchy, while his ardent love of liberty, when it 
was once guaranteed, caused him to embrace with fervor the 
principles that gave origui to Rhode Island. He lived to a 
'great age.' The time of his birth is not certainly known, and 
the precise day of his death is equally obscure. The exact 
spot, "says his biographer,' where his ashes x'ejDOse, is marked 
by no pious stone or monumental marble. Yet if without 
these honors, may it at least ever be their privilege to sleep 
beneath the green sward of a free State." 

The original purchase of Warwick from Miantinomi 
by the twelve settlers, was bounded on the north by a 
line running due west from Copessnetuxet cove twenty 
ijiiles and on the south by a similar line beginning at the 
extreme point of Warwick neck. In breadth the terri- 
tory was about four and three-fourths miles, the whole 
containing about ninety-five square miles or more than 
60,000 acres. Subsequently the town purchased through 
its appointed agents tlie strip of land, known as Poto- 
womet neck. The portion of territory lying in the 
northeast part of the present limits of the town, and 
north of the original purchase, was claimed by various 
parties, including the town of Warwick. We do not 
propose to enter into the details of this controversy, 
which was long and tedious, continuing about fifty 
years, and was settled finally by the Legislature in 1696, 



1667-1776.] DIVISION OF LANDS. 83 

making the Pawtuxet river the northern boundary as it 
exists at present. The difficulty grew out of the differ- 
ent constructions put upon the deeds of purchasers from 
the original tenants of the soil, and from the vague and 
indefinite limits assigned in those deeds. The contro- 
versy occasioned much bitter feeling among the parties 
interested, and probably the life of one of its most active 
participators. William Harris was one of the Pawtuxet 
proprietors, and a persistent and formidable opponent to 
the Warwick claimants. He went to England four 
times during the progress of the matter, the last time 
the ship in which he sailed was taken by a Barbary Cor- 
sair, and both he and the rest of the passengers and 
crew were sold as slaves in the public market at Algiers. 
He remained in bondage for more than a year, when a 
ransom of twelve hundred dollars was paid and he was 
set at liberty. He finally arrived in London, sick and 
exhausted, and died three days afterwards. 

William Harris and Thomas Harris were brothers and settled 
in Providence about the time of Roger Williams, or perhaps a 
year later, William is the seventh named in Roger Williams' 
first deed. They had previously lived in Salem. His will 
which he executed previous to his last disastrous voyage is 
dated December 4, 1678. He had four children, viz.: Andrew, 
who married Mary Tew of Newport; Toleration, who was killed 
during the Indian war in 1675; Mary who married Thomas 
Borden, and Howlong who married Arthur Fenner. Thomas 
Harris had the following children: Thomas, who married Phebe 
Brown; Richard, Nicholas, William, Henry, Eleathan who 
married Nathaniel Brown, Joab, Amity, who married a Morse, 
Mary who married a Bernon, and Job. 

DIVISION OF WARWICK LANDS. 

At the commencement of the settlement of the town 
in 1642, Warwick Neck was selected as the most appro- 
priate part of the town for the immediate abode of the 
settlers, and small portions of territory were annexed to 
each as a house lot, upon condition that dwelling houses 
should be built upon them within six months subsequent 



84 HISTORY OF WABWICK. [1667-1776. 

to the date of such grants. To these home lots were 
added six acres of what became known as "the Four 
miles Commons" or the "Four miles Town," which ex- 
tended from "the head of the Neck " to Apponaug. 
Various grants were subsequently made of portions of 
this territory to individuals, and in some cases large 
tracts were set off and apportionc cl to the several inhabit- 
ants. Previous to the breaking out of Philip's war, from 
motives of prudence they had dwelt together at Old 
Warwick, where they could better protect themselves from 
the jealousy of the natives, and but little progress had been 
made in settling the regions beyond Apponaug. After 
the war had terminated a spirit of enterprise seemed to 
take possession of them, and they regarded themselves as 
now able to go up and possess the whole land. Before 
the close of the century nearly all the territory west of 
the Four mile Town was distributed among them. The 
limits assigned to this volume will not allow me to enter 
into all the details of these several divisions, if indeed the 
absence of records and plats in the Clerk's office, pertaining 
to these matters did not prevent it. From a somewhat 
careful and prolonged study of the material that I have 
been able to obtain I have concluded that only an im- 
perfect account of them can be obtained at the present 
time. Those divisions made within the present town of 
Coventr}^ which was set off in 1741 are here wholly 
omitted, others are merely referred to by extracts from 
the proprietors' records. 

The diagram on the opposite page is a reduced copy 
of an ancient plat of the Coweset farms now in possession 
of Mr. William Warner, of Old Warwick. On the mar- 
gin are the following statements: " A plat of the farms 
in the township of Cowesett as they were laid out by 
order of the proprietors thereof, the beginning of the year 
1685 by John Smith. The lower small devisions are 
lotts laid out formerly, which lyeth In forme as they are 
delemated [designated ?] on the plat, but as to their de- 
vision in width is here omitted, but Length, Right. A 



1667-1776.] 



DIVISION OF LANDS. 



14- 

^TUKELYV/ESTCDTT 



FRANCIS VJtSTOl!, DRAWN RY 
JAMES GREEN SEN'R. 



RICHARO CARDER 



•JCUNnREEK JUN'R 



RIGHARD WATERMAN 



RUFUS BARTON 



JOHN WICKES 



RANDALL HOliLDOH 



THE MftRK OF 

P. S. 
. PHILLIP SWEET 
JHE MfiRK OF 
JOHN I.S, SMITH 




JOHN GREEK SEWR 



4 
EZEKIELLHQLLIMAN 



ROBERT POTTER 



JOHNSMITH TO 
ELIZA CPLLINSCHIID3EN 
NAMLY ELIZA SWILII AM 



JOHN WftRNER 



STEPHEN ARNOLD'S 
LAND 



86 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1667-1776. 

true cop}' taken from the originall plat this 26th of March, 
1716, by me John Warner." * 

This tract is also known as the " Seventeen Farms '' 
and included the territory bounded on the north by the 
present road leading from Apponaug to Centreville, on 
the east by Apponaug and Coweset Bajs on the south 
by Greenwich and on the west by the present town of 
Coventry, with the exception of 1500 acres in the north- . 
east corner, which had previously been mortgaged to 
Stephen Arnold and was held by him at the time the 
plat was made. 

The lots of the middle division were assigned as fol- 
lows: The 1st to Rufus Barton ; 2d Ezekiel Holliman; 
3d Francis Weston ; 4th John Smith ; 5th' Randall Hol- 
den ; 6th John Greene, senior: 7th John Smith — Sweet's; 
8th John Smith ; 9th Henry Townsend ; 10th John 
Wickes ; 11th Stukely Westcott : 12th John Greene, Jr; 
13th Richard Carder : 14th John Warner , 15th Richard 
Waterman ; 16th Robert Potter ; 17th Samuel Gorton. 
Those of the other divisions are given in the diagram. 

The lots of the larger division contained about 240 
acres each. 

The following extracts from the proprietors' records, 
previous to the year 1685, refer to these tracts : 

Feb. 15, 1672. " We ye Purchasers of Misliaomet beeing met 
doe order and agree to go to a division of 30 acre lots more or 
less according to ye map, yt is to say ye four first Lots is to 
have an acre apis Layed out to them on ye front to ye see 
ao-ainst the lotts; ye first Lot is granted to Mr. Gorton; ye sec- 
ond is granted to Capt. Holden ; ye third is granted to Gapt. 
John Greene ; and ye rest accwdiug to lot as they shall be drawn; 
and all ye rest of ye lotts to have all ye land fronting on them 
to ye see according to ye map ; and all ye highways which are 

* John Warner was the clerk of the proprietors, and a practical sur- 
veyor. Aportion of the jn-oprietors' records of this period with original 
plats made by him of different sections of the town, by order of the 
proprietors, as also certified copies of former plats, besides other valu- 
able documents pertaining to the early history of the town, are now in 
possession of his great grandson William Warner, Esq., of Old War- 
wick, to whom the writer is under si)ecial obligation tor their use in 
the preparation of these pages. Scarcely any of the old plats are in 
the possession of the town. 



1667-1776.] DIVISION OF LANDS. 87 



in ye map to bee according to ye map which are [two words 
abbreviated and unintelligible] yelotes; and 2 high-wayes, one 
next ye see on ye front of all ye lots and on through ye midell 
of ye sayd lotts; ye lots to bee IGO polles in length or there- 
abouts and for ye breadth according to what proportion they 
will bear; all ye said lots to be equally laid out; all ye highways 
to bee six pole wied. Also it is agreed upon by us yt ye land 
on ye east side of ye highway of ye four first lotts is reserved 
to ye seventeen purchasers to bee divided equally amongst 
them by lot ; only Mr. Gorton is to have his 17 part layed out to 
his land alread}' granted to him, and to which wee doe all set 
our hands." 

The above signed by fifteen of the purchasers. 
The folio whig is under date of November 27, 1672, 
and signed by fourteen purchasers : 

" We the purchasers doe agree and determine to lay out for 
a plantation, beginning at Apponake brooke, where the foot 
path goes over the brooke, bounding on the sea on the front, 
and extends itself e unto ye south lyne of ye grand Purchase; 
and from each bounder aforesaid, dew west upp in the coun- 
try unto ye west end of ye Grand purchase; and we doe apoint 
that fronting on the sea aforesaid bee laid out seventeen shares 
or lotts and to each purchase share. And that each purchaser 
hath liberty too make three inhabitants besides himself out of 

his proportion, but not to exceed, which will be sixty-eight 

in all, and that highways and other conveniences," etc. 

The purchasers being met this 10th day of December, 1677, 
and two of their trustees being taken away by death viz., Mr. 
Samuel Gorton, sener and Mr John Wickes, sener, they have 
unanimousl}' chosen Mr. Samuel Gorton and Mr. Benjamin 
Barton trustees to supply their places; and for as much as 
Capt. Randall Houlden and Capt. John Greene are chosen our 
Agents or Aturney to manage our apjjeall maid to his majesty, 
wee doe give power to them to morgage fifteen hundred acres 
of Land on the north sid of the plantation of Coweeset, begin- 
ning at the see side at Aponake, unto Mr. Stephen Arnold of 
Pawtuxet for one hundred pounds in silver money, after the 
Bate of eight per sent for the end premised. 

By the Purchasers, 

John Pottrt^, Clerk." 

THE WECOCHACONET FARMS. 

The first act of the purchasers in reference to these 
farms appears to have been under the date of March 25, 



88 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1667-1776. 

1673, when 4^00 acres were set apart for ten of their 
number, one half of which tract subsequently became 
known as the "Wecochaconet farms '" and the other half 
as the " Natick lands;" under the above date is the fol- 
lowing record : 

" For ye farms fronting on ye towne commons as they are 
this clay determined; trom Warwick township at ye west end 
thereof to be laid out westward and a square as near as may be. 
It is further agreed that Mr. Samuel Gorton, Senior, Mr. Ean- 
dall Holden, Stukely AVestcott, .lohn Potter and Elyza Collins 
for one of his shares, shall have the other 2100 acres laid out 
to them [words illegible] Coesset Township and Pawtuxet river 
aforesaid, fronting on Warwick Township: thence due west, 
and this to be their lull proportion for their shares in ye towne 
lands, videleselt: live shares and they are to enter and possess 
at their own charge and thereby are excused of any other 
charge with the rest in the tract of farm lands." 

The Wecochaconet farms or Wecochankuj^ack as the 
name is spelt on a copy of the original plat made by 
John Warner bearing date the 21st of December, 1721, 
were five in number and were surveyed and platted by 
Joseph Carder. The plat bears the date of May 14, 
1692. These farms were sometimes referred to as the 
four hundred acre farms. The easterly line began at 
Apponaug and ran in a straight course until it came to a 
point on the Pawtuxet river near where the Shanticut 
brook empties into said river. The line had it been pro- 
duced would have touched the mouth of the Shanticut. 
In the bend of the Pawtuxet river at the mouth of the 
Shanticut there appears to be a narrow strip of land 
along the west bank of the river that was not included, 
or if included not divided. This easterly line was also 
the western bounds of Old Warwick. The southerly 
line was the road leading from Apponaug to Centreville 
and formed the division line between them and the Cow- 
eset farms. The Pawtuxet river formed the north 
boundary with the possible exception above referred to 
until it reached the forks of the river, at River Point, 
when the south branch continued the boundary for a 
short distance. Included in the plat between the forks 



1667-1776.] DIVISION OF LANDS. 89 

of the river or west side and bordering upon it was a 
tract of seventeen acres, and twelve rods, which was left 
undivided. The westerly line, according to the Proprie- 
tors' order of March 25, 1673, was the south branch of 
the Pawtuxet river. But when the tract was surveyed 
and platted in 1692, the west line in order to include 
only 2100 acres left the south branch of the river near 
the present upper village of River Point. There was 
consequently about one hundred acres not included in 
this grant lying between its west line and the river. 
These five farms were assigned as follows : the 1st bor- 
dering on the road leading from Apponaug to Centre- 
ville its whole distance, to Samuel Gorton ; the 2d to 
John Potter ; the 3d to John Smith ; the 4th t6 Stukely 
Westcott and the 5th, which had the river boundary for 
several miles, to Randall Holden. 

THE NATICK LANDS. 

The grant of these lands was made also on March 25, 
1673. The grantees were John Greene, Senior, Richard 
Carder, Johu Warner, Benjamin Barton and John 
Wickes, Jr., in behalf of Henry Townsend, and the 
tract received was 2,100 acres. The district assigned 
them was bounded easterly on Moshanticut brook, 
southerly on Pawtuxet river, northerly on the north line 
of Warwick purchase, and as far westerly as was neces- 
sary to complete the purchase. The tract was subse- 
quently divided into separate shares. Further reference 
is made to this grant in connection with the account of 
Natick on a subsequent page. 

On the same day the grants of the Wecochaconet and 
Natick tracts were made, a further division of a portion 
of the undivided lands lying in the present town of 
Coventry, was made in favor of seven of the proprietors, 
which became known as the "Seven Men's Farms." 
Some difficulty in reference to the boundaries of those 
several grants having occurred, the following agree- 
ment and decision were made : 

*8 



90 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1667-1776, 



""Whereas, there hath of late a difference arisen between us 
whose names are hereunto subscribed, about the departure of 
the dividing line betwixt Coweset township, ?o called, and the 
farms of Wecoehaconet. Natick, and the Seven Men's Farms, 
so called. And we all of us considering the inconvenience of 
the abovesaid premises, therefore in regard to a loving agree- 
ment and good neighborhood for the future, and- hindering 
chargeable and vexatious suits which may arise, have unani- 
mously agreed as followeth: That all the divisions and lines 
run by John Smith. Joseph Carder and Robert Hazard, sur- 
veyors in said plantation, shall stand and remain unalterable so 
far as the ujiper part of the great meaaow above the saw mill, 
so called, and alread}^ laid out. And further we do agree to 
make choice of either three or five jitdicious men to consider 
and determine the departure of the abovesaid lines in contro- 
versy, and in case there be alteration of the line from the 
place where it was already begun, then restitution to be made 
to the grieved persons, acre for acre, to the westward of the 
great meadow abovesaid, and the line of the said restitution, if 
any, be to run parallel with the north and south lines of the 
purchase to the head thereof. And the above arbitration to be 
finished between this and the twenty-third day of October, 
next ensuing. And further we do agree to enter into sufficient 
bonds to stand to the award of the above arbitration, and in 
testimony hereof we have hereunto set our hands this 31st day 
of August, 1706. 

John Waterman, Randall Rice, 

Thomas Collins, Benjamin Barton, 

The mark of James Greene, 

Jonathan + Hill, Randall Holden, 

Thomas Wickes, Richard Greene, 

Robert Potter, in behalf of his father, 

Peter Greene, son of Maior John Greene, 

James Greene, deceased, John Warner, 

Jolm Rice, Thomas Greene, 

Jabez Greene, James Carder, 

The mark of Peter Greene, 

Mark -I- Roberts, Philip Sweet, 

Samuel Stafford, in behalf of Job Greene, for 

Gideon Freeborne, John Carr, 

John Greene, son of James Briggs. 

James Greene, deceased. 

The foregoing persjons gave bonds severally in the 
sum of XoOO to abide by the decision of the arbitrators. 
Capt, Joseph Jenks, Capt. Samnel ^^'ilkinson, and Mr. 
Gideon Crawford, who, after examining the premises and 



1667-1776.] HIGHWAY ESTABLISHED. 91 

hearing the parties interested, confirmed the lines run by 
John Smith. 

The highway running from Apponaug to Centreville 
was the subject of some contention as early as 1734. 
On the first of September of that year the town ap- 
pointed a committee, consisting of Moses Lippitt, Capt, 
Thomas Rice and Jonathan Whitman, to " inspect " the 
same, and " to agree with PliiHp Arnold, Samuel Greene 
and all others that border on said way, to exchange land 
with them to accommodate said way." The committee, 
on the 24th of November, 1735, reported that they had 
attended to the work assigned them, and pr.tented a 
plat of the road, which "was accepted and put to 
record." The decision was not satisfactory to all the 
parties interested, and on the 8th of August, 1738, it 
was "voted that ye Town Council forthwith summon a 
jury of 12 or more men to revise the highway that leads 
from Apponage between ye farms of Wecochaconet and 
Coweset, so far west as the head of Coweset farms ex- 
tends, and in case they can find no old way to run out a 
new one." This jury made their report Oct. 18, 1738, 
which is as follows : 

"We the subscribers beinof appointed by the Town Council, 
being appointed as jurors to Inspect into ye Piemises, and to 
Revise ye bounds of a highway between ye Ifinds of Wecocha- 
conet and Coweset, according to ye former bounds and jjlat, 
and by wliat Information we could find, we find that a hue' 
from 3^e red oak tree ihat s-tands oposit from Thilip Arnolds 
northwest corner on ihe north side of ye highway that already 
laid out by Moses Lippii, 'ihomas Rice and John Whitman, is 
six degrees and scant half, north, which we conclude to be ye 
north side of said way that leads to ye head of said farms." 

Among the old lists of proprietors or early inhabitants 
of the town, is one entitled, "A List of ye Draft of ye 
Last Devision Drawn May ye 21st, 1748." This list 
was subsequently copied, (but at what date does not 
appear,) and the owners of the lots at the time it was 
copied is also given. The copy was probably made by 
John Warner, then cleik of the proprietors. It is given 
here in order to preserve the names of the inhabitants 



92 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



[1667-177G. 



of the town at that time. 

of ye o Riginol Rights 

the fore mils Commons : '' 

" A list of the originell propri- 
etors'' names of the township 
of Warwicke: 

Samuel Gorton, 39 

John Wickes, 41 

Randall Holden, 43 

Richard Carder, 28 

Robert Potter, 09 

John Greene, Sen'r. 35 

John Warner, 21 

francis "Weston, 11 

Richard Waterman, 31 

John More, 26 

Rufus Barton, 47 

Henry townsend, 8 

Christopher Unthank, 50 

Ezekiel Holliman, 46 

John Lippitt, Sen'r, 18 

Richard Townsend, 19 

Peter Greene, 32 

Tho. Thornicraft, 16 

James Greene, 23 

tho. Greene, 49 

Stukely Westcott, 22 

John smith, 6 

John Smith, 14 

Nicholas hart, 7 

Walter Todd, 10 

John Cooke, 25 

John Greene, Jr., 1 

Robert Westcott, 42 

John Sweet, 27 

John Townsend, 30 

Peter Buzigut, 24 

John Downing, 36 

Edward Inman, 13 

James Sweet, 2 

Thomas Errington, 44 

Amos Westcott, 4 

John Haydon, 33 



The copy is entitled, "A list 
and ve now oners of 



" The names of the now pro- 
prietors, as near as I can find 
out: 

Sam'l & Hezekiah Gorton, 

John Wickes, 

Randall Holden, 

John Carder, 

John Warner, 

Peter Greene, 

John Warner, 

Amos Stafford, 

J'hnWarner & Randall Hold'n, 

Job Greene, 

Rufus & Benjamin Barton, 

John Holden & Benj. Greene, 

John Holden, 

John Warner, 

Moses Lipi^itt, 

John Low, Junior, 

William, Elisha, & Barlo 
Greene, 

Amos Lockwood & Samuell 
peirce, 

Fones Greene, 

Benjamin Greene, 

Zorobabel Westcott, 

Thankful Collins, Robert 
Westgate, & tippitts, 

Xathaniel Greene's children, 

John Wilkes & Geo. Westgate, 

John Knowles, 

Stephen Low, 

Sam'U Greene, 

Abraham & Amos Lockwood, 

Moses Lippitt, 

John Low & John Stafford, 

John Warner, 

John Low & William Utter, 

John Greene, son of Richard 
Greene, 

Richard Greene, 

Benjamin Greene, 

Benony Waterman, 

Amos Stafi'ord, 



1667-1776.] NEW ENTERPRISES. 93 



Mrs. Holmes, 12 George Hazzard, Jr., 

William burton, 40 JBenj^ Gorton ct Wm. Greene, 

Thomas Heclger, Sen'r, 29 John Carder, 

Joseph Howai'd, 45 John Budlong, 

William Eaton, 20 Anthony Low, 

Peter Buzigut tenement, 48 John Rice, 

Tho: Scranton, Sen'r, 5 Amos Stafford. 

John Coles, 34 John Lippitt. & Ben: Greene, 

John Gorton, 3 Edward Gorton, 

Ben: Gorton, 17 Tho: Stafford, 

Francis Gizbon, 38 Geo. Hazard, Jr., 

the Mill owners, 51 Tho: Stafford, 

the tenement on Conimicut, 32 Philip, Stephen, & Ephraim 

Arnold, 

Walter Todd, second grant, 15 Moses Lippitt & Joseph Staf- 
ford." 

The spirit of enterprise on the part of the inhabitants 
of this town after the close of the Indian war, mani- 
fested itself not only in dividing the lands of the Grand 
Purchase among themselves, but in developing their re- 
sources. The water power of the rivers was brought 
into requisition to furnish them lumber ; grist mills were 
established in various places, and there were rude be- 
ginnings of manufacturing various articles needful for 
the comfort of the people. The old saw mill on Tuska- 
tucket brook failed to furnish the amount of lumber 
demanded by the increasing necessities of the people, 
and the timber lands in its vicinit}^ were insufficient for 
their purposes. Farther up in " the woods," as the in- 
habitants were wont to term the present location of the 
thriving manufacturing villages, there was ample water 
power and a larger and better supply of lumber material. 
Hence their interest naturally drew them away from the 
quietude of Shawomet, and led them to establish saw 
mills on the banks of the Pawtuxet. A grant was made 
at a meeting of the Proprietors of the town on the 18th 
of January, 1677, to Henry Wood, John k5mith, John 
Greene and John Warner, as an encouragement to them 
to " build a house at our plantation of Coweset, and a 
saw mill on ye fresh river in ye township, being ye south 
branch yt runs towards Pawtuxet." The grant con- 
sisted of one acre for the mill site, two acres for the in- 



94 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1667-1776. 

dividual use of each of those persons, adjoining ; and one 
hundred acres on the west side of the river for the use 
of the company. Certain conditions were annexed to 
the grant of easy fulfihnent, and hberty was granted 
to cut the standing timber over a large space of territory 
in the vicinity. Provisions were m; de that when the 
lands on the west side shovdd be divided among the in- 
habitants, " so much shall be abated out of their pro- 
portion as ye said one hundred acres is out of their share 
or shares." 

The sense of security resulting from the enfeebled 
condition of the natives gradually increased by acces- 
sions to their own number with the prospect of still 
greater security as time advanced.* And during this 
time the natives had been steadiW decreasing in number. 
It is a law in political economy that " industry will be 
applied to capital as every man enjoys the advantages 
of his labor and his capital."! If tie is in doubt whether 
his labor will be rewarded, his efforts will be feeble. If 
he feels secure in his possessions and is reasonably certain 
that the expenditure of toil will result to his advantage 
there is inducement to labor freely. Heretofore the 
settlers were in doubt in these matters. They were 
harrassed upon every side, and there was little encour- 
agement to extend their efforts beyond the immediate 
precincts of their homes at Shawomet. 

The relation of supply and demand in any community 
is such that the demand for any article usualh' pro- 
duces it. An enlightened community soon find that all 
its members are not best employed in any given production, 



* Population of Warwick from 1708 to the present time: 

Year 1708. 17.30. 1755. 1774. 1800. 1820. 18-10. 1S60. 1870. 1875. 

Pop.... 480 1,178 1,911 2,438 2,532 3,(i48 6,72fi 8,916 10,453 11,(U4 

Coventry was set off in 1741, and has now a population of 4,5S0, which 
gives a total of 16,194, as the population of the territory formerly in- 
cluded in the town of Warwick. 

The number of families in this town in 1774 was 353. The names of 
the men .at the head of these several families, may be found in the 
census of that date, arranged and published in 1858, by Hon. John R. 
Bartlett. 

t Wayland's Political Economy. 



1667-1776.] FULLING MILL AT APPOKAUG. 95 

and hence arises the principle of a division of labor. 
Some will till the soil, others will grind the corn ; some 
engage in one department of toil and others in another, 
according as the one or the other form or kind of labor 
promises them the greatest reward, or is best suited to 
their inclinations. If a community is destitute of the 
kind of labor it needs, and there is sufficient demand for 
it, there is usually some one to supply it. Hence we 
find, at an early period in the history of the town, when 
the supply of wearing apparel of the quality de- 
manded was insufficient from the ordinary methods of 
production to meet the wants of the inhabitants, a 
skilled laborer from abroad found it tor his advantasre to 
come among them, and the inhabitants deemed it for 
their advantage to receive him. This led to the estab- 
lishment of a Fulling Mill at the village of Apponaug. 
The following are the acts of the Proprietors in refer- 
ence to this matter : 

April 28, 1696. "Moses Lippit, James Greene, James Carder 
and Eandall Holden are appointed to go with Mr. Micarter to 
Aponake, and to view a place desired by him to set up a fulling 
mill; and to see wliat accommodation they judge may be al- 
lowed to it, and so make report to the town at the next, meet- 
ing." 

June 6th, 1696. "These presents declare and testify that 
John Micarter, of the town of Providence in the colony of 
Khode Island and Providence Plantations, having made appli- 
cation by way of petition to this town of Warwick, desiring 
leave and liberty for the building and setting up a fulling mill 
upon a small river at the place called and known b}^ the name 
of Aponake, also, some convenient accommodations for the 
abode and residence of himself and family. The town having 
considered the premises have granted his request allways with 
this proviso, that the said fulling mill shall be finished and 
completed, fit to do the town service at or before the first day 
of May, which will be in the year 1697. And that the said 
John Micarter shall always be ready to do the towne's work 
upon as reasonable terms as they can have it done elsewhere 
in States about us, upon those considerations the town hath 
granted him one acre and a half of land, situate and being be- 
tween two wading places, the uppermost being the foot-way, 
the lowermost the horse-way; as also, allowed liberty for 
diggius" a trench at the entrance of Kekamewit brooke to 



96 HISTORY OF WAHWICK. • [1667-1776. 



raise it sufficiently, which done will make a small island, which 
he may also make use of ; an ' hath also liberty without and 
besides the bounds appointed him to "dry cloth upon the 
common; also privileges upon the common for fuel or fire 
wood necessary, and privileges for ten head of cattle to feed 
on the common; moreover seventeen acres of land or there- 
abouts, eastward from Kobert Potter's farm, ranging easterlj^ 
towards Coweset pond," &c. ''Notwithstanding the town do 
reserve the libert}' to themselves if thej^ see cause to set up a 
town mill upon the same river," «&c. '-Said John Micarter 
hath liberty to raise Coweset pond two feet if occasion be for 
it," &c. 

Aug. 3, 1741. The west end of the town was set off 
and incorporated into a township to be known as Cov- 
entry. The following is the report of Daniel Abbott, 
John Potter and Thomas Spencer, the committee ap- 
pointed to make the di^dsion; which report was accepted : 

"We having met in said Warwick on the ■24th day of 
August, last past, aud proceeded to run said line, beginning at 
the^westermost jiait of the Coweset Farms, in said Warwick, 
and from thence ran one line south seven degrees west, imtil 
we came to the north bounds of East Greenwich and the south 
bounds of said Warwick, Avhere we made a 1,-rge lieaj) of 
stones, making several heaps of stones in the said lines, and 
marking several trees in said line, with the letter W, on the 
east, and the letter C. on the west; then beginning at the first 
mentioned bounds and run north seven degrees east, until we 
came to the north bounds of said Warwick and the south 
bounds of Piovidence, making a large heap of stones on the 
east end of a rock, iu said bounds, and made several heaps of 
stones and marked several trees in said line, as aforesaid; the 
which we now make as our return for the fixed and certain 
bounds between the aforesaid town of Warwick and the afore- 
said town of Coventry; aud that the said town of Coventrj- be 
bounded east on the town of Warwick, south on East and 
West Greenwich, west on the line that divides the Colon}^ of 
Pthode Island, &c., and the Colony of Connecticut, and north 
on the south bounds of the towns of Providence and Scituate." 

B}' this act sixty and three-fifths square miles of terri- 
tory were cut off from the town of Warwick to form the 
new town, leaving forty-three and one-tenth square 
miles. These are the present areas of the two towns. 

William Greene of this town having served as Deputy 
Governor for the three preceding years was elected in 



1607-1776.] KENT COUNTY OEGANIZED. 97 

1743 to the office of Governor, holding the office nearly 
eleven years, between 1743 and 1758, dying in office on 
January 23d of the latter year, aged 61 years. He was 
the grandson of Deputy Governor John Greene. Ot the 
governors under the royal charter he was the eighth who 
had died in office, two of them having deceased the same 
year. Their names were Benedict Arnold, June 20th, 
1678 ; William Coddington, Nov. 1st, 1678 ; John Cran- 
ston, March 12th, 1680 ; Caleb Carr, Dec. 17th, 1695 ; 
Samuel Cranston, April 26th, 1727 : William Wanton, 
Dec. 1733 ; John Wanton, July 5th, 1740 ; Wm. Greene, 
January 23d, 1758. 

During the period of Gov. Greene's administration 
the continent of Europe was in a state of the greatest 
commotion, occasioned by the Spanish war and its com- 
plications. " The whole continent was in arms, and bat- 
tles by sea and by land as fruitless as they were ceaseless, 
presented a scene of blood that had never been equalled 
in modern times. "' France declared war against England, 
having espoused the cause of Charles Edward, and Eng- 
land now issued a counter proclamation against France. 
The war was announced to Gov. Greene by the Duke of 
Newcastle * and preparations were made for putting the 
colony in a state of defence. 

The General Assembly, held at Newport, the second 
Monday in June, 1750, incorporated the towns of East 
Greenwich, Warwick, West Greenwich and Coventry 
into a county, to be called the county of Kent.f They 
previously formed a part of Providence county. The 
act provides that " a court house of the dimensions or 
near the dimensions of the court house in Providence, be 
built in the town of East Greenwich, by a free contribu- 
tion of the inhabitants of said county of Kent." At the 
session of the Assembly in February, 1752-3, represent- 
ation being made that the court house was built agree- 
ably to the provisions of the former Assembly, but was 
yet unfinished within, and the inhabitants felt themselves 

* E. T. Col. Rec. v. p. 80. t E. I. Col. Rec. v. 301. 
9 



98 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1667-1776. 

unable to finish it, on application a lottery was granted 
them " as the easiest method to raise money sufficient to 
finish it, and for erecting a fence around the jail." * 

The colonists from the time of the first settlement of 
the country had been ardently attached to liberty and 
extremely jealous of any invasion of either their political 
or religious rights. They had been induced to leave 
their native land in the hope that here they would be re- 
lieved from oppression and arbitrary power. They still 
maintained their allegiance to the crown of Great Britain 
and cherished sentiments of strong attachment to the mo- 
ther country. The long and oppressive wars with the In- 
dians and the French had serioush' retarded their pro- 
gress for a season, and the severe restrictions placed by 
Great Britain on their trade had been borne with con- 
siderable impatience. After the conquest of Canada had 
freed them from some apprehensions, new complications 
awaited them from another quarter, which eventually 
resulted in the war of the revolution. It was claimed 
that the wars which now were carried on by Great 
Britain in defence of her American colonies had greatly 
added to' her national debt and consequently largely in- 
creased the burdens of her subjects, and that in view of 
this she might reasonable indemnify herself for the ex- 
penses incurred by a tax upon the colonies. This reason 
was met by the colonists by declaring that the expenses 

* The granting of lotteries by tbe General Assembly bad beconae 
so comiiion that in Deceuiber, 1760, an act was passed empowering the 
directors of them to call special courts, in case they desii-ed it. They 
were granted to build bridges, dams, pave streets, erect meetinghouses, 
])arsonages, repair roads, school houses &c., and one in 1774 to 
Abial Brown to buy new furniture for his house which had been des- 
troyed by lire. In nui, one for the sum of £10() lawful money to re- 
pair the bridge at the Fulling Mill, and Messrs. Elisha Greene, jr., 
Thomas Arnold and Gideon Arnold were apijointed directors of the 
same. In 1772, one to raise SSOO to rebuild "the town wharf iu War- 
wick harbor," and Cai>t. Benjamin Gorton, Capt. Thomas Greene and 
Cajit. John Lippitt were apiiointed its managers. One in 1774, to 
William Holden, to repair a dam across the Pawtuxet river, in con- 
nection with which he had a grist mill. The upper part of the dam 
bad been carried away with a flood the winter before. The grant was 
for £50, and Capt. William Potter and Mr. John Wickes, son of Robert, 
both of Warwick, and Mr. Anthony Helden of East Greeuwicb, were 
appointed its directors. See R. I. Col. Rec. for these years. 



1667-1776.] WAR APPROACHING. 99 



had been incurred by Great Britain because the colonies 
were valuable to her; that she was interested in their 
defence from the great benefit, present and prospective, 
resulting from the monopoly of their commerce, and that 
their own exertions and expenses had been greater than 
hers, in proportion to their ability. 

In 1764, the celebrated stamp act was passed, laying a 
duty on all paper used for instruments of writing as deeds, 
notes, &c., and declaring all such writings on unstamped 
material to be null and void. * A duty" on glass, lead, 
paints and paper, and an import duty of three pence a 
pound on tea was proposed. On the arrival of the news 
of the stamp act in Boston, the people were much ex- 
cited, " the bells were muffled and rung a funeral peal." 
Rhode Island shared in the general discontent. In July, 
1769, "the British armed sloop Liberty, Capt. William 
Reid, cruising in Long Island Sound and Narragansett 
Bay in search of contraband traders, had needlessly an- 
noyed all the coasting craft that came in her way. Two 
Connecticut vessels, a brig and a sloop, were brought 
into Newport on suspicion of smuggling. An altercation 
ensued between the captain of the brig and some of the 
Liberty's crew, in which the former was maltreated and 
his boat fired upon from the vesfeel. The same evening 
the people obliged Reid, while on the wharf, to order all 
his men, except the first officer, to come on shore and 
answer for their conduct. A party then boarded the 
Liberty, sent the officers on shore, cut the cable and 
grounded the sloop at the Point. There they cut away 
tiie mast and scuttled the vessel, and then carried her 
boats to the upper end of the town and burnt them. 
This was the first overt act of violence offered to the 
British authorities in America, f The two prizes escaped. 
This was followed by various acts of resistance of minor 
importance, all of which tended to the same result that 
eventually transpired." 

* Not, ouly upon the old wills of this period, but on some of the 
proprietors' records, and even the plats before me are seen this re- 
minder of British taxation. 
. ii, p. 2!.I7. 



100 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1667-1776. 



The approach of the centennial of American Indepen- 
dence revives in all quarters of the land the various in- 
cidents and events connected Avith the great struggle. 
A perfect rainy season of claims to notice, animated by a 
patriotic spirit and local pride, and stimulated by local 
traditions is upon the land and will continue for the year 
to come. It matters but little in what particular spot 
the struggle began, where the first blood was shed, or- 
who were the principal actors — little in comparison with 
the results of that struggle. Yet as matters of history, 
such minor events become interesting and will always be 
cherished by a liberty-loving people. At a recent cele- 
bration at East Westminster, Vt, a claim was made that 
the first blood of the Revolution was shed within its 
limits, on the 18th of March, 1775, when William French 
and Daniel Houghton were shot by Tories, in the Court- 
House, and thus secured a monument erected to their 
memory by the State. This monument bears the names 
of the proto-martyrs and also the following uni(|ue epitaph 
copied from the headstone of WiHiam French : 

"Here AVilliam Frencli his body lies 
For murder his blood for veugeance cries; 
King George the Third his Tory crew 
That with a bawl his head shot threw; 
For Liberty and his Cou:i try's good 
He lost his life, his dearest blood." 

Whether this was the first patriotic blood that flowed 
in immediate connection with the revolutionary war, I am 
not able to say. It is certainly in order for any one to 
dispute it and set up a better claim. 

For several years previous to the actual outbreak of 
the American revolution, much trouble had been 
occasioned by an illicit trade carried on by vessels along 
the coast, which induced the Commissioners of Customs 
to place armed vessels at different points to prevent the 
smuggling of goods into the several ports. Among these 
vessels thus posted was the British armed schooner Gaspee, 
of eight guns, commanded by Lieut. Duddingston, which 
was accompanied by another called the Beaver. Dud- 
dingston had seized twelve hogsheads of rum and some 



1667-1776.] DESTRUCTION OF THE GASPEE. 101 

sugar which belonged to Jacob (ireene & Co., which 
were on board a sloop bound for Greenwich as one ac- 
count has it. but which was more likely bound for Ap- 
ponaug, where the Greenes had their storehouse and 
where they received their coal and black sand for their 
anchor forge in Coventr}-. It was soon after this affair 
that the destruction of the Gaspee took place on the 
Warwick coast and the first Tory blood shed in connec- 
tion with the revolutionary war, the details of which we 
quote from the statement made in 1839 by Col. Ephraim 
Bowen, who was concerned in the affaii-and was probably 
.the last survivor of the gallant little band. 

" In the year 1772, the British Government had stationed at 
Newport, Rhode Island, a sloop of war, with her tender, the 
schooner called the Gaspee, of eight guns, commanded by 
William Diiddingston, a lieutenant in the British navy, for the 
purpose of i^reventing the clandestine landing of articles sub- 
ject to the payment of duty. The captain of this schooner 
made it his practice to stop and board all vessels entering or 
leaving the ports of Ehode Island, or leaving Newport "for 
Providence. * On the lOch day of June, 1772, Capt. Thomas 
Lindsey left Newport, in his packet, for Providence, about 
noon, with the wind at north; and soon after the Gaspee was 
under sail in pursuit of Lindsey, and continued the chase as far 
as Namcut Point, which runs off from the farm in Warwick, 
about seven miles below Providence, and is now owned by Mr. 
John B. Francis, our late governor. Lindsey was standing 
easterly, with the tide on ebb, about two hours, when he hove 
about at the end of Namcut Point, and stood to the westwaixl 
and Duddingston, in close chase, changed his course and ran on 
the Point near its end and grounded. Lindsey continued on 
his course up the river and arrived at Providence about sunset, 
when he immediately informed Mr. John Brown, one of our 
first and most respectable merchants, of the situation of the 
Gaspee. He immediately concluded that she would remain 

_ * Dea. Pardon Spencer relates an anecdote of one of the fishermen 
living on the Pawcatnck river about this time. It appears tliat the 
fisherman with liis "smack" ventured down tlie river ancl was over- 
hauled by one of the guard boats of a war vessel stationed near its 
mouth. After being detained awhile, the fisherman was released, but 
not until his patriolism and indignation had reached a considerable 
height. On departing he exclaimed:—" Only let me catch that man- 
o'-war up the Pawcatuclv river and we'll see what will become of her." 
It did net occur to him, that a "manof-war" might possibly find 
other difficulties in navigating the Pawcatuck than those he had ia 
mind. 



102 HISTOKY OF WARWICK. [1667-1776. 



immovable till after midnight, and that now an opportunity 
offered of putting an end to the trouble and vexation she daily 
caused. Mr. Brown immediateh^ resolved on her destruction, 
and he forthwith directed one of his trusty shipmasters to col- 
lect eight of the largest long boats in the harbor, with five oars 
each, to have the oars and oar locks niut^led to prevent noise, 
and to place them at Fenner's wharf, directly opposite the 
dwelling of Mr. James Sabin, who kept a house of board and 
entertainment for gentlemen, being the same house purchased 
a few years later by Welcome Arnold, one of our enterprising 
merchants, and is now owned by, and is the residence of Col. 
Kichard J. Arnold, his son. 

About the time of the shutting of the shops, soon after sun- 
set, a man passed along the Main street, beating a drum and 
informing the inhabitants of the fact, that the Gasi^ee was 
aground on Namcut Point, and would not float off until three 
o'clock the next morning, and inviting those persons who felt 
a disposition to go and destroy that troublesome vessel, to 
repair in the evening to Mr. James Sabin's house. About 9 
o'clock I took my father's gun and my powder horn and bullets 
and went to Mr. Sabin's house, and found the south-east room 
full of people, when I loaded my gun, and all remained there 
till about 10 o'clock, some casting bullets in the kitchen and 
othei's making arrangements for departure; when orders were 
given to cross the street to Tenner's wharf and embark, which 
soon took place, and a sea captain acted as steersman of each 
boat, of whom I recollect Capt. Abraham Whipple, Capt. .John 
B. Hopkins (with whom I embarked), and Capt. lienjamia 
Dunn. A line from right to left wan soon foimed, with Capt. 
Whipple on the right, and Captain Hopkins on the right of 
the left wing. The party thus proceeded till within about 
sixty yards of the Gaspee, when a sentinel hailed, "Who comes 
there?" No answer. He hailed again and no answer. In 
about a minute Duddingston mounted the starboard gunwale in 
his shirt and hailed, "Wiio comes there?" No answer. He 
hailed again, when Cajit. Whipple answered as follows: " I am 
the sherifi' of the count}' of Kent * * * ; 1 have got a warrant 
to apprehend 3-ou « * * ; so surrender * * * ." 1 took my seat 
on the main ihwart near the larboard row-lock, with my gun 
by my right side and facing forwards. As soon as Duddiugston 
began to hail, Joseph Bucklin, who was standing on the main 
thwart said to me, " Eph, reach me your gun, I can kill that 
fellow?" I reached it to him accordingly, when, during Capt. 
Whipple's replying, Bucklin fired and Duddingston fell, and 
Bucklin exclaimed : " I have killed the I'ascal I " In less than 
a minute after Capt. Whipple's answer, the boats were along- 
side of the Caspee, and she was boarded without opposition. 
The men on deck retreated below, as Duddingston entered the 



1667-1776.] THE GASPEE PARTY. 103 



cabin. As it was discovered that lie was wounded, John Maw- 
ney, who laad for two or three years been studying physic aQtt 
surgery, was ordered to go into the cabin and dress Dudding- 
ston's wound and I was directed to assist him. On examination 
it was found that the ball took effect about five inches directly be- 
low the navel. Duddingston called for Mr. Dickinson to produce 
bandages and other necessaries, for dressing the wound, and 
when finished, orders were given to the schooner's company to 
collect their clothing and every thing that belonged to them, 
and put them into the boats, as all of them were (o be sent 
ashore. All were soon collected and put on board the boats, 
including one of our boats. They departed and landed Dud- 
dingston at the old still-house wharf at Pawtuxet, and put the 
chief into the house of Joseph Rhodes.* Soon after all ihe 
party were ordered to depart, leaving one boat for the leaders 
of the expedition, who soon set the vessel on fire, which con- 
sumed her to the water's edge. 

The names of the most conspicuous of the party are, Mr. 
John Brown, Capt. Abraham Whipple,! John B.Hopkins, Ben- 
jamin Dunn, and five others whose names I have forgotten, and 
John Mawney, Benjamin Page, Joseph Bucklin and Turpin 
Smith, my youthful companions, all of whom are dead, I believe 
every man of the party excepting myself ; and ray age is eighty- 
six, this twenty-ninth day of August, eighteen hundred and 
thirty-nine. " 

The bold enterprise excited much interest and the 
news spread Hke a prairie fire in all directions. A court 
of inquiry was instituted, and it was proposed to send the 
offenders to England for trial, if they could be caught. 
But like the tea party of Boston harbor, the secret was 
kept as closely as those of a Freemason's Lodge until it 
was too late to punish the offenders. It undoubtedly 
tended to hasten 'the separation of the colonies from the 
mother country and bring on the storm that was soon to 
break forth in fury over the land. 



* Judge William Carder, of Pawtuxet, writes me that tlie Old Still 
House wharf was situated on wliat is now known as "Still House 
Cove " on tli^ Cranston side. That Joseph Rliodes lived on Still House 
Lane, now Ocean street, about twentj' rods westerly of the old Still 
Hou.*ie and wharf, and was found drowned in one of the tanks in said 
Still bouse, several years after the destruction of the Gaspee. 

t Subsequently Capt. Wallace of his majesty's frigate, Rose, wrote 
to Whipple as follows: "You, Abraham Whipple, on the 10th of June, 
1772, burned his majesty's vessel, the Gaspee, and I will hang you at 
the yard arm: James Wallace." To which Whipple replied, more 
curt than courteous, "To Sir James Wallace, Sir.— Always catch a 
man before ye hang him, Abraham Whipple." Arnold, voL ii. p. 351, 
note. 



104 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1G67-1776. 

In September, 1774, quite a serious affair, that as- 
sumed the form of a riot occurred at East Greenwich, 
occasioned by a number of the inhabitants of the town 
having hung one of the Warwick inhabitants in effigy. 
Judge Stephen Arnold, of Warwick, was the person 
that had awakened tlie opposition of a considerable 
number of persons and led to this manifestation of con- 
tempt on the part of our neighbors of East Greenwich. 
He was a Judge of Common Pleas, and had been charged 
with Tory principles, though it hardly appears from the 
records that he was guilty. He made a violent opposi- 
tion to some politicians, and denounced some of the 
leaders with so much asperity that his opponents took 
this method of revenge. Arnold appears to have been 
much incensed at this method of retaliation, and influ- 
enced a large number of his sympathizers, who iinally 
went to East Greenwich, and threatened to destroy the 
village.* Deputy Governor Sessions ordered the Cadets 
and Light Infantry to Greenwich to support the Sheriff. 
Governor Greene, f who was cousin to Judge Arnold, and 
who resided on the old Greene homestead in Warwick, 
near Greenwich, recommended moderate measures, and 
interceded in Arnold's behalf. The parley that was 
held resulted in Judge Arnold's making a written con- 
fession of his wrong in encouraging the riot, while he 
maintained his right to express himself freely upon all 
matters. In this confession, which he publicly read at 
the time, "he declared himself opposed to the scheme for 
taxing the colonies by Great Britain." 

Judge Arnold was several times elected subsequently, to im- 
portant offices, and the cloud that had unfortunately gathered 
over him 80on passed away. He is represented as "a tall, slim 
man," active in his habits, social and somewhat eccentric. He 
was a descendant of the Pawtuxet Arnolds, and born Sept. 3, 
1732. His father was Philip, son of (Stephen, and grandson of 

* See Arnold's Hist. Vol. II, 3il. R. I. Col. Rec. Vol. IX, pp. 623-4. 

t The luutlier of tlie Governor, was Catherine, second daughter of 
Capt. Benjamin Greene, antl the mother of Judge Arnold, was 
Susanna, Mrs. Greene's eldest sister. Capt. Greene was son of Thomas, 
and grandson of John Greene, Senior. — Mr. Boiismaniere's Pawtuxtt 
Letters. 



1667-177C.] JUDGE STEPHEN AENC)LD. 105 



Stephen, and cjreat grandson of William, the lirst of the 
family in this State. At a town meeting held Jan. 11, 1768, of 
which Judge Philip Greene was moderator, a committee, con- 
sisiing of Col. Benjamin Waterman, James Ehodes. Capt. 
Benjamin .Greene, Stephen Arnold, Thomas VVickes, Thomas 
Rice, Jr , and John Warner, .Jr., was appointed to draft resolu- 
tions adverse to the importation of goods from England, and 
favorable to the development of home manufactures. He was 
then a young man, and gave promise of much influence and 
usefulness, which was afterwards fulflUed. Stephen Arnold,- 
of Pawtuxet, his gi'andfather, was one of 'he largest land- 
holders in the town. Judge Arnold married Ann, daughter of 
Capt. Josiah Haynes, June IG, 1751. He was married several 
times. One of his daughters, Elizabeth, married Cliristopher 
A. Whitman, of Coventry, who was for some years President 
of the Coventry Bank. While in conversation about the New 
London turnpike passing through the lands of his son, he fell 
dead in the I'oad near ihe Methodist parsonage in CentreviUe, 
May 19, 1816, in th:; 84ih year of his age. Two of his sons 
came to their end in the same sudden manner not long after- 
wards — Benedict, while riding to Apponaug, dropped dead 
from his horse, and his oldest son dropped from his chair and 
expired just after he had eaten a hearty dinner. 



106 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [177G-1S00. 



CHAPTER YI. 

From the Breaking out of the B evolutionary War to the year 

1800. 

Though the town of Warwick was no more mterested 
in or affected by the war of the Revohition than some of 
the other towns of the State, it happily fell to its 
lot to furuish several men who became conspicuous 
during the time, both in the councils of State and in the 
field. The notes of preparation for the coming conflict 
were heard from many quarters. Military organizations 
were being formed all over the country previous to the 
actual outbreak of hostilities. At the October session 
of 1774, the General Assembly granted a charter to the 
Pawtuxet Rangers ; also one to the Kentish Guards, an 
independent company for the three towns of Warwick, 
East Greenwich and Coventry, from which at a later 
day were to be taken Gen. James Mitchel Varnum, 
Gen, Nathaniel Greene and Col. Christopher Greene, 
with others of less note. The news of the battle of 
Lexington, on the iOth of April, 1775, aroused the 
patriotic spirit of Rhode Island to a still higher point, 
and three days after the battle of Lexington, the Assem- 
bly met at Providence, and " Voted and resolved that 
fifteen hundred men be enlisted, raised and embodied as 
aforesaid, with all the expedition and despatch that the 
thing will admit of."' This army was designed especially 
as an army of observation, with its quarters in this 
State, " and also if it be necessary, for the safety and 
preservation of any of the Colonies, to march out of 
this Colony, and join and cooperate with the forces of 



1776-1800.] GEN". NATHANIEL GREENE. 107 

the neighboring Colonies." It was subsequently formed 
into one brigade under the command of a Brigadier 
General, and the brigade was divided into three regi- 
ments, each of which was to be commanded by one 
Colonel, one Lieutenant Colonel and one Major, while 
each regiment was to consist of eight companies. Na- 
thaniel Greene was chosen the Brigadier General.* 

The following is the commission signed by Henry 
Ward, Secretary of the Colony, Vv'ho was " authorized 
and fully empowered to sign the commissions of all offi- 
cers, civil and military :" 

"By the Honorable the General Assembly, of the English 
Colon}' of Khode Island and Providence Plantations in New 
England in America. 

"To aSTathaniel Greene, Esquire : 

Greeting : 
" Whereas for the Preservation of the Eights and Liberties 
of His Majesty's loyal and faithful subjects in this Colony and 
America, the aforesaid General Assembly have ordered Fif- 
teen Hundi'ed men to be enlisted and embodied into an Army 
of Observation, and to be formed into one Brigade under the 
command of a Brigadier-General, and have appointed you th'e 
said Nathaniel Greene, Brigadier-General i:f the said Army of 
Observation: you are, therefore, hereby in His Majesty's 
Name, George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great 
Britain, &c., authorized, empowered and commissioned to have, 
take and exercise the otiice of Brigadier-General of the said 
Army of Observation, and to command, guide and conduct the 
same or any part thereof. And in Case of Invasion or Assault of 
a Common Enemy, to disturb thisor an}- other of His Majesty's 
Colonies in America, you are to alarm and gather together the 
Army under your command, or any part thereof, as you shall 
deem sufftcient, and therewith to the utmost of your Skill and 
Ability, you are to visit, expel, kill and destroy them in Order 
to preserve the Interests of His Majesty and His good Sub- 
jects in these Parts. You are also to follow such instructions. 
Directions and Orders as shall from Time to Time be given 
forth, either by the General Assembly or your superior Ofilcers. 
And for your so doing this Commission shall be your sufficient 
Warrant. 



* The life of Gen. Greene, by Lis grandson, George Washington 
Greene, LL. D., from which these and luany subseqnent items of his 
life are taken, is one of the ablest biographies in the English language, 
and refiects hardly less credit upon its author than upon his distin- 
guished ancestor. 



108 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [177G-1800. 

"By virtue of an Act of the said General Assembly, I, 
Henry Ward, Esq., Secretarj- of the said Colon}- have hereunto 
set my Hand and the seal of the said Colony this eighth Day of 
May, A. D. 1775, and in the Fifteenth year of His said Majesty's 
Reign. Henry Ward." 

Gen. Greene was born June 6th, 1742, in that part of 
the town still known b}^ its aboriginal name of Potowo- 
mut or " place of all the fires," and which was pnrchasecl 
by Randall Holden anil Ezekiel Holliman, in behalf of 
themselves and their fellow townsmen, of the Indian 
sachem Tacomanan and his sons Awashotust and Wawa- 
nockashaw in 1654. He was the fifth in descent from, 
his ancestor, John Greene, senior, who with a few com- 
panions took up their solitary abode in the then wil- 
derness of Shawomet a century before. His father, also 
named Nathaniel, was of the Quaker persuasion, and an 
eloquent preacher, and divided his time between the 
pul[)it and the forge, grist mill and saw mill, which he 
had set up on the little river that wended its wa}'- 
through his lands. Under his care his eight sons grew 
to manhood. He is said to have been a rigid disciphn- 
arian, a believer in the old Bible maxim that " Train up 
a child in the way he should go and when he is old he 
will not depart from it." The maxim held true in the 
case of Nathaniel, excepting so far as related to his con- 
tinuance in the peculiar religious sentiments of his father, 
and might have proved true even in this respect, but for 
the stirring times that dawned upon the colony, about 
the time he arrived at manhood. Gen. Greene in early 
life manifested an ardent desire for knowledge, which he 
gratified as far as his o])portunities allowed. As he ap- 
proached his majority the natural inclination for society 
strongly developed itself, and the frequent merry-makings 
in the surrounding families during the long winter 
evenings were specially coveted, but could be enjoyed 
only by stealth. The inclination to participate in them 
becoming so strong various methods were resorted to, 
such as youthful ingenuity is apt to invent to accomplish 
its purposes. An anecdote of this character is well au- 



1776-lSOO.] ANECDOTE OF GEN. GEEENE. 109 

thenticated and related by one of his biographers. "He 
had stolen from the honse, when it appeared to be wrapt 
in slumber. The occasion was one of particular at- 
tractions. There Avas a great party in the neighborhood 
to which he had been secretly invited. He danced till 
midnight, the gayest of the gay, little dreaming of any 
misadventure. But when he drew near to the home- 
stead, his keen eyes discovered the person of his father, 
paternally waiting, whip in hand, beneath the very win- 
dow through which he i.lone could find entrance. The 
stern old Quaker was one of that class of people who are 
apt to unite the word and the blow, the latter being quite 
likely to make itself known before the other. In this 
emergency, conscious that there was no remedy against, 
or rescue from the rod, young Greene promptly con- 
ceived an idea which suggests a ready capacity for military 
resource. A pile of shingles lav at hand, and before he 
supposed his father to behold his approach, he insinuated 
beneath his jacket a sufficient number of thin layers of 
shingles to shield his back and shouMers from the thong. 
With this secret c()rslet he approached and received his 
punishment with the most exemplary fortitude. The 
old man laid on with the utmost unction, little dreaming 
of the secret cause of that hardy resignation with which 
the lad submitted to a punishment which was meant to 
be most exemplary." The danger that threatened the 
colonies awakened his patriotic sentiments and turned 
the current of his boyhood teachings of non-resistance 
into warlike channels, and led him by diligent study of 
such books as he could procure, to prepare himself for 
the active and important position to which he was subse- 
quently called. Previous to the breaking out of the 
revolutionary war, in connection with several of his bro- 
thers, he removed to Coventry, where he carried on an 
extensive business in forgino' anchors. Their forge stood 
near where the Quidnick Railroad bridge now stands. 
He married Catherine,daughter of John Littlefield, of New 
Shoreham, July 20th, 1774. Gen. Greene's subsequent 
brilliant military career, which may be said to have com- 

10 



110 HIST()RY OF WARWICK. [1776-1800. 

menced the same year of his marriage, he having joined 
the Kentish Guai"ds in that year, is too well known to 
need a recapitulation. In the latter part of 1785, he re- 
moved with his family to Georgia, where he died on the 
19th of June, 1786. As a successful militar}^ commander 
in the revolutionary struggle, it is generally allowed that 
he stood second only to Washington. 

A resolution was passed in Congress, July 2, 1864, 
inviting each State to furnish, for the old Hall of the 
House of Representatives, "two full length marble statues 
of deceased persons, who have been citizens thereof, and 
illustrious for their renown, or from civic or military ser- 
vices, such as each state shall determine to be worthy of 
national commemoration." In accordance with this 
resolution, the General Assembly of Rhode Island, 
ordered to be made two marble statues, one of Gen. 
Nathaniel Greene and the other of Roger Williams. On 
the 25th of January, 1870, Hon. Henry B. Anthony, in 
behalf of Rhode Island, piesented to Congress, with an 
appropriate address, the statue of Gen. Greene. 
' On the 12th of May, 1874, the same gentleman intro- 
duced in the Senate, a concurrent resolution to erect a 
monument at the seat of the Federal government to 
Gen. Greene, and instructing the committee on Public 
Buildings and Grounds, "to designate a site upon the 
Capitol grounds, for an equestrian statue of Nathaniel 
Greene." The resolution was adopted by both houses, 
and the sum of forty thousand dollars was subsequently 
appropriated for the erection of the statue. 

Of the three regiments comprising the Rhode Island 
Brigade, the one for Kent and King's counties was placed 
under the command of Col. James M. Varnum, with 
Christopher Greene as major. In the following June, the 
battle of Bunker Hill having been fought, increasing 
preparations were made throughout the Rhode Island 
colony for the struggle. Every man Ciipable ot bearing 
arms was required to equip himself for service and to 
drill half a day semi-monthly. Six additional companies 
of sixty men each were ordered to be raised and to join 



1776-1800.] ACCOUNT OF COL. LIPPITT. HI 

the brigade, which had now been placed under the gene- 
ral direction of Washington, who was now in the vicinity 
of Boston. A brig from the West Indies had been cap- 
tured off Warwick Neck, and the adjacent shore pillaged 
of much live stock. Additional forces were raised 
throughout the colony. In Januarjs 1776, Warwick 
Neck was fortified, and a company of Artillery and 
minute men were sent to defend it. Two new regiments 
of seven hundred and fifty men each were raised, and 
united in one brigade. Of one of these regiments, 
Henry Babcock was colonel, and Christopher Lippitt, of 
this town, was Lieutenant Colonel. 

Tlie following account of Col. Lippitt is from the pen 
of John Rowland Esq. At the time it was written, 
Mr. Howland was President of the R. I. Historical 
Society. 

" Christopher Lippitt was a member of the General Assem- 
bly In .January, 1776, he was ai)pointed Lieut. Col. of the 
regiment raised by the State — Col. Harry Babcock was com- 
mander. He shortly quitted the service and Lieut. Col. Lippitt 
was promoted to the office of Colonel. I enlisted in Capt. 
Dexter's company. We were stationed on the island of Rhode 
Island. The regiment was taken into the continental service, 
and the officers commissioned by Congress. After the dis- 
astrous battle of Long Island, we were ordered to join Wash- 
ingt.m's army, at Kew York. 

On the ;:ilst of Dec, 1776, while the army under Washington 
was in Jersey, the term of all the continental troops expired, 
except Lippitt's regiment, which had eighteen days more to 
serve. The brigade to which they were attached consisted of 
five regiments, three of which (Varnura's, Hitchcock's and 
Ijippitt's) were from Rhode Island. Col. Hitchcock commanded 
the brigade, and Lippitt's regiment counted more than one 
third of the whole. This was the time that tried both soul and 
body. We had by order of the General left our tents at Bris- 
tol, on the other side of the Delaware. We were standing on 
frozen ground, covered with snow. The hoi^e of the com- 
mander in chief was sustained by the character of these half- 
frozen, half starved men, that he could persuade them to serve 
another month, until the new recruits should arrive. He made 
the attempt and it succeeded. Gen. Mifflin addressed our 
men, at his request: he did it well. The request of the General 
was acceded to by our unanimously poising the firelock as a 
signal. Within two hours alter this vote we were on our 



112 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1776-lSOO. 



march to Treulon. Col. Lippitt's regiment was in the battle at 
Trenton, when retreating over the bridge, it being narrow, our 
platoons wex'e in passing it, crowded into a dense and solid mass, 
in the rear of which the enemy were making their best efforts. 
The noble horse of Gen. Washington, stood with his breast 
pressed close against the end of the west rail of the bridge; and 
the firm, composed, and majestic countenance of the General 
inspired confidence and assurance, in a moment so important 
and critical. 

"They did not succeed in their attempt to cross the bridge. 
Although the creek was fordable between the bridge and ihe 
Delaware, they declined attempting a passage in the face 
of those who presented a more serious obstruction than the 
wator. On one hour — yes, on forty minutes, commencing at the 
jiioment when the Jh'itish first saw the bridge and the creek 
before them — depended the all-important, the all-absorbing 
question, whether we should be independent States or con- 
quered rebels! Had the array of Cornwaliis within that space 
crossed the bridge or forded the creek, unless a miracle had 
intervened, there would have been an end of the American 
Army." 

"Col. Lippitt was in the battle of Princeton. The Com- 
mander-in-chief after the action, took the commander of our 
Ijrigade (Col. Hitchcock) by the hand, expressing his high ap- 
probation of his conduct and that of the troops he commanded, 
and wished him to communicate his thanks to his otticers and 
men " 

"Col. Lippitt continued in service during the war. He after- 
wards removed to Cranston. He was appointed Major General 
of State's Militia. He died on his farm in Cranston. Charles 
Lippitt, the brother of Col. Lippitt, wa«au officer in the revolu- 
tionary war, and for many years a member of the General 
Assembly. He died in Providence, in August, 1845, aged 91." 

The foUoXving is an account of the earlier generations 
of the Lippitt family of this town : 

John Lippitt, the first of this name in this town, settled here 
previous to the year 1655, on which dale his name appears on 
the roll of freemen. In 1(338 he wtis a resident of Providence, 
and in 1647 was one of the committee who were api^oiuted to 
organize the government under the Parliamentary charter. 
He had five children, viz.: IS'athaniel, John, Moses, Joseph and 
Kebecca, who married Joseph Howard, Peb. 2, 1665: she mar- 
ried the second time, Francis Budlong, March 19, 1669. 

John, son of John,i married Ann Greene or Grove, Feb. 9, 
1665. He died about 1670. He had two children, .John, born 
Nov. 16, 16C:5, married Rebecca Lippitt, his cousin; Moses, born 
Feb. 17, 1668. 



1776-1800.] THE LIPPITT FAMILY. 113 



Moses,- son of John,^ married Mary, daughter of Heury 
Knowles. Moses died Jan. 6, 1703. Tlieir children were 
Mary, who married John, son of John and Mary Burlingame, 
of Kingstown, R.l. Martha, who married Thomas Burhngame, 
the brotlier of John. Rebecca, who married John Lippitt, 
(John,- Johni ) and Moses. 

Moses'^ was born about tlie year 1GS3, and died Dec. 12, 1745. 
lie was a deputy to tlie General Assembly six years, between 
1715 and ilHO. He married Ann Pliillis, daughter ot Joseph 
aud AUce Whipple, of Providence. They had five children, 
viz.: Moses (a favorite prenomen in this family), born Jan. 
17. 1709, married Waite Rhodes, and died August 8, 1766; Jere- 
miah, born Jan. 27, 1711, married Welthian Greene, and died in 
1776; Christopher, born Nov. 29, 1711, married Catherine 
Holden, and died l)ec. 7, 1764; Joseph, born Sept. 4, 1715, mar- 
ried Lucy Bowen, and died May 17, 1788; Ann Phillis, born 
August 29, 1717. married Abraham Francis, June 18, 1736, and 
died June 24, 1774. Abi'aham Francis was born in 1711, and 
died Oct. 11, 1764. He was a resident of Boston, and "was 
reported to be the heir to most of the land upon which Boston 
stood, but never obtained it." Ann Phillis Lippitt was edu- 
cated at Boston, where she met Mr. Francis, and received there 
her offer of marriage. They subsequently resided in Warwick. 
Mr. Francis w as Captain of the 4th Company in the Rhode 
Island Regimeut in the French War of 1755. He had no 
children. Freelove, born March 31, 1720, married Samuel 
Chace, August 10, 1743; Mary, born Dec. 2, 1723, aud John, 
Dec. 24. 1731, who married Bethiah Rice, and died Sept. 15, 
1811. 

Moses,'' (Moses," Moses,- John,i ) married Waite Rhodes, 
daughter of John and Catherine (Holden) Rhodes lived on 
Connimic.:t Point. They had eight children, viz.: Cathei-ine, 
born Dec. 19, 1734; Moses, born 1736, died 1740; Waite, born 
1738, died 1740; Joseph, born June 28, 1740, died July 29, 17-58, 
on the coast of Guinea; Waite, born April 10, 1743, married 
David, son of Josiah Arnold, August 29, 1765; Moses, born 
May 26, 1745, and died June 14, 1833. He was called "Moses 
of the Mill," because he owned the grist mill, built by Thomas 
Stafford at an early period. He married Tabitha Greene, 
daughter of Elisha Greene, of East Greenwich, Dec. 25, 1768; 
Abraham, born Oct. 26, 1747. He was ordained an Elder of the 
Old Baptist Church in Old W^arwick, Sept. 7, 1782. He mar- 
ried August 8, 1770, Sarah, daughter of Capt. Josiah and 
Maplet (Remington) Arnold. In 1793 he removed to Hart- 
Avick, Otsego Co., N.Y.; Mary, born June 26, 1749, married 
Caleb Greene, son of Richard and Rebecca, born August 11, 
1751, joined the Shakers at [fTew Lebanon, JST. Y., and died- 
there. 

*J0 



114 KI3T0PA' OF WARWICK. [1776-lsOO. 



Moses"' Lippitt (Moses,^ Moses,'' Moses,- Johu,i ) who married 
Tabitha Greene, had seven children, viz.: Waite, born August 
31, 1760; Elisha, Auo-ust 29, 1771; Isabel and Tabitha (twins), 
April 1, 1770; Mary, June 14, 1781; Elizabeth G., April 20, 
1785; Moses G., Aug-ust 27, 17S9. 

Isabel Lippitt married Stephen Budlony, July 28, 1805. 
Their children were, Moses L., born Oct. 1:6, 1866; Tabitha 
G., (who married Thomas Jones Spencer, Esq.,) March 1, 180S; 
William D., Dec. 14, IKQO; Lorenzo Dow, June 27. 1812; 
Isabella L., March 13, 1814. and Ann C. March 9, L^Ki. The 
liomestead of Stephen Budlnng was near the "High House." 
where he owned a large farm. He died Oct. 13, 1850; his wife 
died May 8, 1800. 

Jeremiah, son of Moses,"' married Welthian Greene, daughter 
of Eichard Greene, Sept. 12, 1734. He was Town Clerk of 
"Warwick, from June 1742 to his death in 1776, with the excep- 
tion of the year 1775; a deputy four years, and Assistant live 
years. They had nine children, five sons and four daughters, 
of whom the first, Anne, born Nov. 15, 1735, married first, 
Col. Christopher Gieene (see frontispiece), son of Philip and 
Elizabeth (Wickes) Greene. She married the second time Col. 
John Low. 

Christopher Lippitt, son of Moses,'' was born Nov. 29, 1712. 
He married (^atherine Holden, daughter of Anthony and Phebe 
(Rhodes) Holden, Jan. 2, 1736, and had twelve children, of 
whom Col. Christopher Lippitt, the revolutionary hero, was tlie 
fourth.* 

The exposed condition of the seaboard towns rendered 
it advisable for tlie women and children to remove into 
the interior, and many of them accordingly left their 
homes for safer quarters. Warwick Neck was defended 
by Col. John Waterman's regiment, and Pawtnxet by 
that of Col. Samuel Aborn. In July, 177.7, one of the 
most daring and skiltully executed acts that occurred 
during the war, resulted in the seizure of Gen. Prescott, 
the Britisli commander on Rhode Island, by Lieut. Col. 
William Barton, who was at the time stationed at Tiver- 
ton. Prescott was quartered about five miles from New- 
port, on the west road leading to the Ferry. On the 
10th of the month, at about nine o'clock, Barton with a 



* For a farther account of this family, see the earefulh* prejiared 
account, by Daniel Heckwitb, E.scj., of Providence, R. I. 1 am also 
'indebted for a portion of the above inforuiation to Mrs. Thomas Jones 
Spencer, of this town. See also Updike's Narragausett Church. 



1776-1800.] CAPTURE OF GEN. PKESCOTT. US 

small company, went down to Warwick Neck, and em- 
barked in row boats, passings between the islands of 
Patience and Prudence to the island where Prescott was 
encamped. Three British frigates, the Lark, the Dia- 
mond and the Juno, were lying at anchor with their 
guard boats out on the east side of Prudence. Passing 
the south end of Prudence with muffled oars, they heard 
the sentinels cry: "All's well.*' These they passed 
safely and in due time landed at the jjlace of their des- 
tination, liarton divided his men into several squads 
and advanced toward the house, passing the British 
guard house a hundred rods on the left, and a company 
of light horse about the same distance on the right. 
The squads approachea the house from different di- 
rections to cut off" all chance of Prescott's esca[)e. As 
one company approached the gate a sentinel challenged 
them, but met with no reply. The sentinel then de- 
manded the countersign. Barton rejnied boldly, " We 
have no countersign to give ; have you seen any deserters 
to-night ? " and marched on, and before the sentinel was 
aware of the position of things he was made a prisoner. 
The house was at once entered and Col. Barton ascended 
to the General's sleeping room. As he entered Prescott 
jumped from his bed and seized his gold Avatch,1iang- 
ing upon the wall, when he was told that he was a pri- 
soner. Gen. Prescott requested permission to dress, but 
was told that time was too precious to allow it, and he 
was permitted only to wrap his cloak about him. Major 
Barrington, who had leaped from a window as Barton 
and his men entered by the door, was taken prisoner. 
Both were marched off to the boats, where Prescott was 
permitted to dress. The injunction of perfect silence 
was imposed upon the prisoners until they had passed 
the British vessels. As they landed at Warwick Neck, 
Prescott turned to Col. Barton and remarked, "Sir, you 
have made a bold push to-night," to which Barton re- 
plied, " Sir, we have been very fortunate;" They re- 
mained a short time at Old Warwick, until Col. Elliott 
arrived with a coach and conveyed the party to Provi- 



116 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1776-lSOO. 

dence. Gen. Prescott took breakfast before starting for 
Providence, at a house which is still standing and which 
was then used as a tavern. It is a gambrel roofed house, 
on the east side of Main street, and not far from the 
residence of Mr. George Anthony. It is known as the 
David Arnold house. Mrs. Arnold noticing that the 
General was without a cravat, offered him one of her 
white handkerchiefs, and at breakfast expressed her fear 
that her breakfast was not relished, as the General did 
not eat heartily. Prescott replied that he had not much 
appetite. Prescott was afterward exchanged for Gene- 
ral Lee, who had fallen into the hands of the enemy, and 
at the close of the same year or the beginning of the next, 
he resumed command of the Britit^h forces in Rhode 
Island, where he remained until its final evacuation.* 
For this gallant act, congress voted a sword to Col. Bar- 
ton, and gave him a few months afterwards, a Colonel's 
commission and he was appointed aide-de-camp to Gen. 
Greene. 

In 1777, William Greene, Jr., was chief Justice of the 
Supreme Court, and in May of the following year, he 
was elected to the office of Governor, a position which 
he held for eight consecutive years. "It illustrates the 
simpl^manners, as well as the physical vigor of the man 
of revolutionary times, that Gov. Greene, although pos- 
sessed of an ample fortune, was accustomed two or 
three times a week, during the sessions of Assembly at 
Providence, to walk up from ^Yarwick, or we might say 
from Greenwich, as he resided on the dividing line of 
the two towns, and home again in the afternoon."! At 
this time the war had been in progress two years. The 
battles of Lexington, Bunker Hill, Trenton, Brandy- 
wine, Germautown and others had been fought, and the 
condition of the country, though still depressed, was as- 
suming a more hopeful prospect. Congress had sent 

* See account of the affair in Rev. vVrtlmr A. Ross' Centennial Dis- 
course, published in 1838. Mr. Ross was tlien pastor of the 1st Baptist 
Church, Newport, and previously settled in this town. Also, in 
"Spirit of '?()." pp. 4:7-50, and Arnold, vol. ii. 40.3. 

t Arnold II., 417. 



1776-1800.] PEOGRESS OF THE WAR. 117 

Dr. Franklin, Silas Deane and Arthur Lee as commis- 
sioners to France to solicit assistance, and durin^ this 
year, treaties of amity and commerce were signed, 
and the Inde])endence of the United States was thus 
acknowledged. All this was hopeful, but the British 
troops still la)^ in force upon the Island of A(}uidneck, 
near Newport — like the ancient Mordecai at the king's 
gate — commanding the entrances of Narragansett Bay, 
and threatening to pounce upon the defenceless towns 
at any moment. Attacks were soon made upon Warren, 
Bristol and Fall River, the Baptist Church in the former 
place was destroyed, and other wanton acts were com- 
mitted, which occasioned a sharp correspondence between 
the commanding generals, Sullivan and Pigot. In the 
following month (June) Congress, by recommendation of 
Gov. Greene and Gen. Sullivan, directed Washington to 
send home the Rhode Island troops, if they could be 
spaied, and made other ])ro visions for the protection of 
the State. The British had seven thousand men upon 
the island, while the forces under Sullivan amounted to 
only sixteen hundred. The Council of War called out 
half the effective force of the State, the rest to be ready 
to take the field at a moment's warning. On the 30th 
of July, Count D'Estaing, with twelve ships-of-the line 
and four frigates, arrived off Newport, and blockaded the 
enemy. The British at once withdrew to Newport, and 
their ships sought refuge in the harbor. Three British 
vessels were blown up in the east passage, and four 
frigates and a corvette were run ashore and burnt to 
prevent them falling into the power of their opponents. 
The conflict between the opposing forces was, however, 
delayed until August 29th, when a short and sharp 
battle took place a few miles from Newport, in which 
the American loss in killed, wounded and missing, 
amounted to two hundred and eleven, while that of the 
British, including prisoners, was one thousand twenty- 
three. 

In the battle Maj. Gen. Greene commanded the right. 
Lafayette returned from Boston too late to take an im- 



11§ HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1776-1800. 

portant part in the engagement, but at a later period of 
the war is said to liave remarked that "it was the best 
fought action of the war." 

In May, 1781, a sad event occurred to one of the gal- 
lant soldiers from this town, which deprived the country 
of the valuable services of Col. Christopher Greene. 
His regiment was quartered at '' Rhode Island village," 
a part of it occupying an advanced post, some ten miles 
distant, at Points Bridge on the Croton river, where the 
Colonel and Mrijor Flagg were quartered. While here 
a party of the enemy, consisting of two hundred and 
sixty cavalry, forded the river and surprised the camp, 
killing in a most barbarous manner. Col. Greene and 
Major Flagg. Al)Out forty of the Rhode Ishind regi- 
ment were either killed or taken prisoners. The follow- 
ing account of the affair, from the appendix to the war, 
in the Southern department, by Col. Henry Lee, gives 
some of the particulars of the affair.* 

''Exhibiting iu early life his capacity and amiability, he was 
elected bv bis native town to a seat in the colonial Legislature, 
in Oct.. 1770, and he continued to till the same by successive 
elections until Oct., 1772. In 1774, the l^egislature wisely 
established a military corps, styled the '' Kentish Guards," f for 
the ])urpose of titling the most select of her youth for military 
otlicers. In this corps young Greene was chosen a Lieutenant, 
and in May, 1775, he was appointed by the Legislature a Major, 
in what was called " An army of (.)bservation," a brigade of 
1600 effectives, under the orders of his near relative, Brigadier 
Greene, afterwards so celebrated. 

" From this situation he was promoted to the command of a 
company of infantry, in one of the regiments raised by the 
State, for continental service. The regiment to which he be- 
longed was attached to the army of Canada, conducted by Gen. 
Montgomery, in the vicissitudes and difficulties of which cam- 
paign, Capt Greene shared, evinci!;g upon all occasions that 
unyieldinij intrepidity Avhich marked his military conduct in 
every subsequent scene. In the attack upon Quebec, which 
terminated the campaign, as well as the life of the renowned 
Montgomery, Capt. Greene belonged to the column which en- 
tered the town, and was taken prisoner. 

* Updike's Narragansett Churcli. See also account in "Spirit of 
'76," by B. Cowell. 

t All the lut^uibers of the Kentisli Guards wlio entered tlie continen- 
tal arinv became officers of llie line. Writings of Wiu. Goddard, vol. 
1. 349. note. 



1776-1800.] COL. CHRISTOPHER GREENE. 119 

His elevated mind ill-brooked the irksomeness of captivity, 
though in the hands of the enlightened and humane Carleton; 
and it has been uniformly asserted that, while a prisoner, 
Greene often declared that he ''would never again be taken 
alive," a resolution unhappily fulfilled. 

As soon as Capt. Greene was exchanged he repaired to his 
regiment, with which he continued without intermission, per- 
forming with exemijlary propriety the various duties of his 
progressive stations, when he was promoted to the Majority of 
Varnum's regiment. In 1777 he succeeded to the command of 
the regiment, and was selected bj' Washington to take com- 
mand of Fort Mercer (commoidy called Red Bank), the safe 
keeping of which post with that of Fort Mitflin (Mud Island), 
was very properly deemed of primary importance. 

The noble manner in which Col. Greeue sustained himself 
against a superior force of veteran troops, led by an officer of 
ability, has been partially related, as well as the well-earned 
rewards which followed his memorable defence. Consummating 
his military fame by his achievements on that .proud day, he 
could not be overlooked by the Commander in-chief when 
great occasions called for great exertion. Gi^ene was accord- 
ingly attached with his regiment to the troops placed under 
Major Sullivan for the purpose of breaking up tlie enemy's 
post on Rhode Island, soon after the arrival of the 
French fleet under the command of D'Estaing in the summer 
of 177S; which well-concerted enterprise was marred in its exe- 
cution by some of those incidents which abound in war, and 
especially when the enterprise is complicated, and entrusted to 
allied forces and requiring naval co-ope'vtion. 

"In the spring of 1781, when Gen. Washington began to 
expect the promised aid from our best friend, the ill-fated J. ouis 
Xyi, he occasionally approached the enemy's .ines on the side 
of York Island. In one of these movements Col. Greene with a 
suitable force was posted on the Croton river in advance 
of the army. On the other side of this river lay a corps of 
refugees ( Americaa citizens who had joined the Hi'ilish army) 
under the command of Col. Delancy. These half citizens, 
half soldiers, were notorious for rapine and murder; and to their 
vindictive conduct may be ascribed nn-st of the cruelties which 
stained the progress of our war, and which compelled Wash- 
ington to order Capt. Asgill, of the British army, to be brought 
to headquarters for the purpose of retaliating, by his execution, 
for the murder of Capt. Huddy, of Kew Jersey, perpetrated by 
a Capt. Lippincourt of the refugees. The commandant of 
these refugees (Delancy was not present) having ascertained 
the posiiion of Greene's corps, which the Colonel had cantoned 
in adjacent farm hou?es, — probablj' with a view to ihe procure- 
ment of subsistence, — took the resolution to sirike it. This 



120 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1776-1800. 



was accordingly done by a nocturnal movement on the 13th of 
May. The enemy crossed the Crotou befoi'e daylight, and 
hastening his advance reached our station with the dawn of 
day unperceived. As he approached the farm house in which 
the Lieutenant Colonel was quartered, the noise ot troops 
marching was heard, whi?h was the tirst intimation of the fatal 
design. Greene and Major Flagg immediately prepared them- 
selves for defence, but the}^ were too late, so expeditious was 
the progress of the enemy. Flagg discharged his pistols and 
instantly afterwards fell mortally wounded, when the ruffians 
(unworthy of the appellation of soldiers) burst open the door 
of Greene's apartmen'. Here the gallant veteran singly re- 
ceived them with his drawn sword. Several fell beneath the 
arm accustomed to conquer, till at length overpow'ered by 
numbers and faint from the loss of blood streaming from his 
wounds, barbarity triumphed over valor. His right arm was 
almost cut off in two places, the left in one, a severe cut on the 
left shoulder, a sword thrust through the abdomen, a bayonet 
in the right side, several sword cuts on the head and many in 
different jiarts of the body." 

"Thus cruelly mangled, fell the generous conqueror of Count 
Dunop, whose wounds as well as those of his unfortunate 
associates, had been tenderly dressed as soon as the battle 
terminated, and whose pains and sorrows had been as tenderly 
assuaged. The Commander-in-chief heard with anguish and 
indignation the tragical fate of his loved— his faithful friend 
and soldier — in whose feelings the army sincerely participated. 
On tlie subsequent day the corpse was brought to headquarters 
and his iuneral was solemnized with military honors and 
universal grief. "Lieut. Col. Greene was murdered in the 
meridian of' life, being only forty-four years old. He married 
in 1758, Miss Anne Lippiit, a daughter of J. Lippitt, Esq., 
of "Warwick, whom he left a widow with three sons and four 
daughters. He was stout and strcuig in peison, about five feet 
ten inches high, with a broad round chest; his aspect manly, 
and demeanor pleasant; enjoying alwa3's a hii;Ii slate of health, 
its bloom irradiated his countenance, which siguilicantly ex- 
pressed the fortittide and mildness invariably displayed 
throughout his life.' 

For the gallant defence of Fort Mercer at Red Bank, 
Congress made a suitable acknowledgment by passing a 
resolution, Nov. 4, 1777, " That an elegant sword be 
provided l)y the Board of War and presented to Col. 
Greene." Col. Greene did not live to receive the sword, 
but several years after his death it was forwarded to his 
son, Job Greene, of Centreville, accompanied by the 
following complimentary letter : 



1776-1800.] COL. CHRISTOPHER GREENE. 121 



"War Office of the United States,) 
Kew York, June 7, 1786. ^ 

Sik: — 

I have the honor to transmit to you, the son and legal reiDre- 
seutative of the late memorable and gallant Col. Greene, the 
sword directed to be presented to him, by the resolve of Con- 
gress of the 4th of November, 1777. 

"The repulse and defeat of the Germans at the fort of Red 
Bank on the Delaware, is justly considered one of the most 
brilliant actions of the late war. The glory of that event is 
inseparably attached to the memory of your father and his 
brave garrison. The manner in which the Supreme authority 
of the United States is pleased to express its high sense of his 
military merit, and the honorable instrument which they 
annex in testimony thereof, must be peculiarly precious to a 
son emulative of his father's virtues. The circumstances of 
the war prevented obtaining and delivery of the sword previous 
to your father's being killed at Croton River in 1780. 

On that catastrophe his country mourned the sacrifice of a 
patriot and a soldier, and mingled its tears with those of his 
family. That the patriotic and military virtues of your hon- 
orable father may inlkience your conduct in every case in 
which your counti'y may require your services is the sincere 
wish, sir, of 

Your most obedient and very humble servant, 

H. Knox. 

Job Greene, Esq." 

The sword is of elegant workmanship, the blade a 
pohshed rapier, with its principal decorations of silver, 
inlaid with gold. The sheath is of rattlesnake-skin. 
It is now in possession of Hon. S. H. Greene, of River 
Point, a grandson of the Colonel. 

Col. Greene's home was in Centreville. He lived in a house 
that formerly stood just north of the bi'idge, on the same site 
where now stands the dwelling known as the "Levalley House." 
He was the son of Philip Greene, an Associate Judge of the 
Supreme Court in 1768, and great grandson of Dei)uty 
Governor Greene. He had four sons and five daughters, though 
at the death of the Colonel, two of them may have deceased. 
"VVelthian, born Kov. 19, 1757, married Capt. Thos. Hughes; 
Job, Xov. 19, 17.59, married Abigail Rhodes, of Stonington; 
Phebe, Jan. 6, 1762; Ann Frances, June 2, 1762; Elizabeth, 
Dec. 1.5, 1766, married Jeremiah Fenner, Jr.; Jeremiah, Oct. 
17, 1769, married Lydia Arnold, of East Greenwich; Daniel 

11 



122 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1776-1800. 



"Westrand, March 22, 1772; ChristojDher, August 27, 1774; 
Mary, Sept. 20, 1777. Col. Greene's widow married Col. John 
Low\ She died June 9, 1816, aged 80, and was buried with 
her parents near the Baptist Church, Old Warwick. 

Job Greene, son of Christoi^her, had four children. Chris- 
topher Rhodes, born Sept. 19, 1780; Susanna, Ma}' 5, 1788; 
Mary Ann, May 25, 1794; Simon Henry, March 31, 1799. 
Christopher R. CJreene died in South Carolina. In the Provi- 
dence Journal of Ajiril 3d, 1875, appeared an interesting arti- 
cle by "H. L. G.," with several of the poems of Mr. Greene, 
which illustrate the facility of his versification, and the patri- 
otic as well as poetic sentiments of his nature. H. L. G. says: 
"To the list of Rhode Island poets should be added the name 
of Christopher Rhodes Greene. He was the oldest child of the 
late Job Greene, Esq., of Centreville, in Warwick, and brother 
of Hon. Simon H. Greene, and grandson of Col. Christopher 
Greeue, the revolutionary patriot. 

Born soon after the close of the war of independence, of 
such parentage, it was natural that the mind of Mr. Greene 
should be indued with the highest-toned sentiments of patri- 
otism, and witli all the noblest attributes of manhood. 

His first employment in business was in connection with the 
Providence Bank. He afterwards formfed a coijartnership with 
William Carter, under the name of Greene & Carter, and en- 
gaged in mercantile pursuits in Providence. On the dissolution 
of this firm, he went to Savannah, wiiere he remained through 
the Avinter of 1811-12, and from thence to Charleston, S. C, 
being honored and esteemed as a merchant, citizen and friend 
in both of those cities. He married in Charleston, Miss Mary 
Ann Lehre, and after a few years of wedded life, died Novem- 
ber 6, 1825, at his wife's plantation. Fountain Grove, St. 
Stephen's Parish, S. C, at the age of 39 years. 

Several of his poems were published under the noin de 
X)lume of Hebron, in the Providence Gazette, the Charleston 
Courier, and the American Patriot, a Savannah newspaper." 

The impossibility of determining with certainty the 
names of any considerable number of pertions belonging 
to this town, who were soldiers of the Revolution, is a 
matter of regret. The muster rolls that are still pre- 
served do not generally indicate the town to which the 
soldiers belonged, and at this time it is probably impos- 
sible to ascertain even a majority of the " rank and file," 
as well as many of the subordinate officers of the army 
who enlisted from this town.* That the town furnished 



* The muster roll of the S'ield, Staff and commissioned officers of 
the First Battalion of Rhode Island forces in the services of the United 



1776-1800.] SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 123 

its quota of men, and was not lacking in patriotic senti- 
ments, might be inferred, if there were no other grounds? 
from the influence ihat such men as we have already 
seem raised high in official military position, would be 
likely to exert upon their fellow-townsmen. 

Among the manuscripts preserved in the Secretary of 
State's office, relating to this period, I find the following : 
"A general return of the Brigade stationed at 
Warwick Neck, consisting of three regiments, com- 
manded by Col. John Waterman,. Dec. 12, 1776." Of 
these regiments, Col. Waterman, Col. Bowen and Major 
Medciff were commanders. The total number of men 
in them was 750. 

Col. John Waternmn, of Warwick, in January, 1777, 
commanded the regiment which drove the British from 
the Island of Prudence, at the time Wallace landed and 
burnt the houses upon the Island. 

Muster and size roll of Recruits enlisted for the town of 
Warwick for the campaign of 1782: 

Henry Straight, Rhodes Tucl-:er, Dauiel Hudson, George 
Westcott, George Parl^er, Caleb Mathews, Nathaniel Peirce, 
Benjamin Howard, Benjamin Utter, Stephen Davis, Anthony 
Church, Abel Bennet, James Brown. 

Otficers of the Pawtuxet Rangei's for 1770, were Benjamin 
Arnold, Captain; Oliver Arnold, First Lieutenant; Sylvester 
Rhodes, Second Lieutenant, and James Sheldon, Ensign. 

Officers "^ f the Kentish Guards for 1776, were, Richard Frj-e, 
Captain; Hopkins Cooke, First Lieutenant; Thomas Holden, 
Second Lieutenant, and Sylvester Greene, Ensign. 

Field officers of the State for Kent County for the year 1780: 
Thomas Holden, Colonel of the First Regiment of Militia; 
Thomas Tillinghast, Lieutenant Colonel; Job Peirce, Major. 
Archibald Kasson, Colonel Second Regiment of Militia; Thos. 
Gorton, Lieutenant Colonel; Isaac Johnson, Major. 

Officers to command the several trained bands or companies 
of Militia within the State: 

For Warivick. — First Company. — Job Randall, Captain; .Jas. 
Arnold, Lieutenant; James Carder, Ensign. 

Second Company. — Squire Miller, Captain; James Jerauld, 
Lieutenant; John Stafford, Ensign. 

Third Company. — Thomas Rice, son of Thomas Rice, Captain; 
Anthony Holden, Lieutenant; Stukely Stafford, Ensign. 

States couuuauded by Col. Greene, for Apiii, 1779, may be found ia 
"Spirit of '76," page 185. In the same work are also the lists of the 
several companies. 



124 HISTORY OF WARWICK [1776-1800. 



The cessation of hostilities was announced b}^ Wash- 
ington in general orders, April 11, 1783, just eight years 
from the battle of Lexington, and the joyful news was 
forwarded to each town in the State. The people of 
Warwick hailed the announcement with gladness. Her 
soldier citizens could now return to their homes and en- 
gage in their ordinary peaceful pursuits. Great Britain 
had tested the strength and valor of the Yankees,* and 
found them greater than she supposed ; and Yankee 
Doodle, the song of contempt composed by a tory officer, 
had found a tune that had inspired the American 
soldiery with a patriotic enthusiasm that led them on to 
final victory. 

In June, 1795, the town votefl to hold their town 
meetings in the meeting house at Apponaug, in case the 
society wo aid allow them, otherwise at the house of 
Caleb At wood. 



* Yankee and Yankee Doodle. — Thatclier in his Military .Tournal (p. 
19,) gives the following account of the origin of the word Yankee and 
of lanket Doodle. "A fanner of Cambridge, Mass., nanaed Jonathan 
Hastings, who lived about the year 1713, used it as a favorite cant 
word to express excellence; as a Yankee good horse, or Yankee good 
cider. The students of the college liearing liiin use it a good deal, 
adopted it and called hiiu Yankee Jonathan. Like other cant words, 
it soon came into general use. The song "Yankee Doodle" was 
written by a British Sergeant at Hoston in 177o, to ridicule the i)eople 
there when the American army under Washington was encami)ed at 
Cambridge and Iloxbury." — Zos,sm'/'.s Field Book of the Iievolutioii,p. 
81. Note. 

In Drake's 'American Indians," another derivation of the word 
Yawfcee is given ; this takes it from a Cherokee word eankec, which 
signifies coward or slave, and was bestowed upon the inhabitants of 
I^ew England by the Virginians, because they would not assist them 
in the war with the Cherokees. 



1800-75.] VARIOUS TOWN LAWS. 125 



CHAPTER VII. 

From the year 1800 to the i^esent time. 

In June, 1805, it was voted, to instruct the represent- 
atives in the General Assembly to vote against the erec- 
tion of any turnpike gate within the county of Kent "to 
the injury of the inhabitants of said county." 

In 1808, there was considerable excitement in the town 
occasioned by a bill before congress, for raising an army 
of fifty thousand men, in view of, an anticipated war. 
A town meeting was called, and a series of resolutions 
passed denouncing the measure. 

On April 18, 1810, it was voted in town meeting, that 
" the price of labor, for an able-bodied man, be .seventy- 
five cents per day, that is, accounting nine hours labor 
for each day's work, he finding the necessary tools " &c. 

In June, 1823, the Town Council were requested, in 
future to meet the second Monday of each month, and 
that "each and every one of the members of the council 
be allowed for their services four dollars a year, and that 
the law heretofore passed, allowing them eight shillings 
per year, be, and the same is hereby repealed." 

At a town meeting, held Nov. 4, 1856, Thomas P. 
Lanphear was elected to the General Assembly, to fill 
the vacancy in the town's representation, occasioned by 
the death of Ex-Gov. William Sprague. 

William Sprague * was one of the stirring business men 

* Three brothers: Ralph, Richard and William, came to this coun- 
try, in 1628, and settled in Salem, Mass. Their father, Edward 
Sprague, was a fuller, of Upway, Dorsetshire, England. Ralph 
Sprague, was a prominent man, in Charlestown, Mass. and one of the 

*11 



126 HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1800-75. 



of liis day and belonged to a race of manufacturers. 
His father, also named William, was a cotton manufac- 
turer and calico printer, and his descendants have pur- 
sued the same business with an energy and success that 
have made the name of iSprague known in connection 
Avith cotton manufacture throughout the civilized world. 
Previous to his election to the Gubernatorial office, Mr. 
Sprague had beeu a representative in Congress, and sub- 
sequent to that event, he was chosen United States Sen- 
ator, a position which he retained until the death of his 
father in 1843, when the demands of his business at 
home led him to resign his seat in the Senate. Further 
reference to him Avill be made, in connection with the 
accounts of the villages of Natick and Arctic. The fol- 
lowing letter from his nephew, ex-Governor Sprague, in 
answer to a note of enquiry, gives some of the prominent 
traits of his character : 

PuoviDENCE, 8th June, 1875. 
Rev. O. P. Fuller:— 

Dear Sir: — Your note of the 7tli, is before me. The late ex- 
Goveruor Sprague died in 1856,ahnost iu my arms. My age at 
that period was 25. My occupation and observation had been 
very much restricted up to that time. The burden that fell 
upon me consequent on the decease of the subject I'eferred to, 
occupied all my time, until the war, and from that time to the 
present, very many and at times exciting incidents have oc- 
curred, that have iu a measure shut me off from events and in- 
cidents connected with individuals with whom I have associated. 
My memory is not of that kind that at will enables me at 
once to call up without effort, incidents connected either with 
men or things. 

The late ex-Gov. Sprague was an exceedingly reticent man. 
He seldom exhibited feelings through which one gains au 
insight into charactei*. I have hardly made up my mind to-day 

founders of the church there, in 1632; in 1630, the fii-st constable; a 
representative, in Ki,'!? and eight times afterward. In 1639, the Gene- 
ral Court granted him 100 acres of land, "he having borne diiliculties 
in the beginning." He died in 1650, leaving a widow, four sons and a 
daughter. Richai-d Sprague was a merchant, and died Nov. 2.3, 1668, 
leaving no cliildren. William, the youngest, removed to Hingham, 
Mass., in 1636, where he died October 26, 1675, leaving eleven children. 
See Frothingham's Oharlestown, Lincoln's History of Hingham and 
Hosea Sprague's Genealogy of the Si^rague family. 



1800-76.] EX- GOV. WILLIAM SPRAGUE. 127 



as to his weak or strong traits of character, and as to their 
variety. Knowing myself and my own weaknesses, I find in 
them much that was similar in the late ex-Governor. He was 
never mirthful. In that particular I force myself to be other- 
wise. He was of a thoughtful cast of mind. He lived within 
himself. This gave him a gloomy appearance, when probably 
his feelings were cheerful and contented. The absence of 
cheerfulness, and it maybe of mirthfulness, in the character of 
men, is. in my opinion, a great hindrance to intellectual and 
spiritual growth. As an offset to this effect, if such it was, ex- 
Gov. Sprague possessed a physical structure unsurpassed. It 
was of the grandest character and proportions. I have never 
come in contact with a man that equalled him in that respect. 
His skin was as pure and untainted as that of the most delicate 
woman. His muscles were like steel. If his bones were now 
to be examined, they would be found to be nearer the con- 
sistency of ivory than those of ordinary men. Had the subject 
before us permitted his real nature its whole power to act, free 
from the influences of his occupation, in fact, had he permitted 
himself less excess in the occupation to which he devoted him- 
self, the character and power he would have unfolded would 
not have been surpassed by any man of his time. As it was, 
his general success is an evidence of his superiority. Had he 
abandoned his reticence, and imparted his experience to the 
young brain to which he left his business, he too would have 
had no great catastrophe to surmount. It was the reticence of 
the late ex-Governor Sprague in reference to those connected 
with him by family ties, that in a large measure may be 
attributed the check which has come on his business successor. 
I wish I could give you an insight into the man. I cannot 
do so now, without devoting more time for reflection than I 
have at present command. I will forward your note to his 
more immediate family, who will give you dates of events that 
may make your task easier, if in no other way, by allowing you 
to compare ihem with those you may already have. I would, 
if I could, contribute more, than I now have, to the praise of 
one whom I esteem as a second father. 

Very truly &c., 

W. Sprague. 

The resignation of Senator Sprague left a vacancy in 
the United States Senate, which was filled by the ap- 
pointment of John Brown Francis, January, 1844. Mr. 
Francis was born in Philadelphia, May 31, 1791. His 
father was John Francis, who married a daughter of 
John Brown, a merchant of Providence. Gov. Francis' 
first wife v/as Anne Carter Brown, dauu'hter of Nicholas 



128 HISTORY OP WARWICK. [1800-75. 

Brown, whom he married in 1822. She died in 1828, 
leaving two daughters, one of whom is the wi'fe of Mar- 
shall Woods, Esq., of Providence. In 1832, he married 
his cousin, whose maiden name was also Francis. Gov. 
Francis died August 9, 1864, and Mrs. Francis, June 14, 
1866. Ot this marriage there were four children of whom 
two are now living. John Brown Francis, jr., the only- 
son, died in Rome, of typhoid fever, Feb. 24, 1870. Gov. 
Francis graduated at Brown University, in 1808. 
Though of a somewhat retiring disposition, he was early 
called into public life, and held many offices of trust. 
He belonged at first to the old Federal party, and subse- 
quently to the Democratic party. He was moderator of 
the town meetings for^jnany years in succession, inter- 
ested in the public schools of the town, and from 1824 to 
1829 represented the town in the General Assembly. In 
1833, he was nominated for Governor by the Antimasons 
and Jackson men, and elected, and was annually re- 
elected until 1839. He was elected Chancellor of Brown 
University in 1841, and held the office until 1854, when 
he resigned. Gov. Francis had an unusually fine, and 
commanding appearance. He was affable, courtly and 
dignified in his manners, and was one of the most popu- 
lar men of his day. Inheriting an ample fortune, and 
possessed naturally of a sympathetic, generous nature, 
he was alwa3's found to be a friend to those who needed 
his counsels or his purse. He lived, and died at Spring 
Green, in the eastern part of the town. 

In June, 1855, a proposition was made to divide the 
town into voting districts. The subject was referred to 
the November meeting, at which time the proposition 
was laid upon the table. At this meeting, a pro[)osition 
being before the General Assembly, for the setting off of 
Potowomut from this town, and joining it to East Green- 
wich, it was voted : 

"That the Senator and Eepresentatives of this town, be, and 
they are hereby instructed to oppose, by all honorable means, 
the Granting of the Prayer of the Petition of John F. Greene, 
et. al." "Voted, that John Brown Francis, John E. Waterman, 



1800-75.] EICHARD WARD GEEEFE. 129 



Simon Henrv Greene, William Spracrue, Cyrus Harris and 
Benedict Lapham, be a committee, witli fnll power to employ 
counsel, and do all things necessary to the proper conducting 
of the opposition of this toAvn to said petition." 

The efforts . of this committee were successful, and 
this fair portion of the town's domain, the birth-place of 
General Nathaniel Greene, and the residence of the late 
Chief Justice Richard Ward Greene, remains still a part 
of the town, though separated from it by the waters of 
Coweset Ba.y. 

Judge Greene, who died a few months ago, will be regarded 
as one of the foremost, among the honored names of this state. 
His stately, dignified form impressed even the stranger. 
Straight as an arrow, even at four-score years, and standing 
over six feet, deliberate in his motions, his physical presence 
insi)ired respect, in addition to his wisdom and his years. He 
was born early in the year 1792, and died in the 84th year of 
his age. He was the son of Christopher and Deborah Ward 
Greene. His mother was a daughter of Governor Samuel 
"Ward. He was educated at Brown Universit}', and at the time 
of his death was one of its trustees. He studied law at tlie 
Litchfield Law School, an institution which graduated many of 
the wisest and best lawj-ers of the American bar. The occa- 
sion of his death afforded his associates an opportunity to bear 
willing testimony to his worth. 

What efforts were made for the education of the chil- 
dren of this town during the first seventy-five years of 
its settlement it is impossible at this time to determine. 
Though it is probable that educational privileges were 
limited, it is not likely that the rising generation were 
allowed to grow up in utter ignorance ot the elementary . 
branches of knowledge. The character of the pioneers 
of this town preclude such a conclusion. The inhabi- 
tants were few in number, but a fair proportion of them 
were possessed of more than ordinary intelligence. 
Their school privileges and the methods of instruction 
were of sttch a character, however, as to find no place in 
the records of the town. Nor should we expect it to be 
otherwise, when we consider that the instruction of chil- 
dren Avas not considered to be the duty of the public 
until recentiv. The schools at this time were wholly of 



130 HISTOKY OF WARWICK. [1800-75. 

a private character until the inauguration of the public 
school system, within the jiast half century ; though for 
many years previous to that event there was a gradual 
progress toward that system. Early in the last century 
there are intimations in the town records (see account 
of Old Warwick on a subsequent page) of such schools in 
operation, which, though of a private character, afforded 
privileges to all who chose to avail themselves of them. 
As the last century closed, and the present dawred, in- 
creased interest was manifested in the subject of educa- 
tion, and several societies were incorporated b}^ the 
General Assembly for this object. 

The "Warwick North School Society was incorporated, 
March, 1794 ; the "Warwick West"^ School Society," 
May, ISOo : the "Warwick Central School Society," Feb., 
1804, and the " Warwick Library Society," May, 1814. 
The Rhode Island Register for the year 1820, states that 
"Warwick contains ten schools and two social libraries."* 

At the inauguration of the public school system in 
the State, a new impetus was given to the subject of 
education ; town school committees w^ere appointed to 
have the general oversight of the schools, the town was 
divided into districts, and appropriations of money for 
their support was made thereafter annually. The fol- 
lowing persons were chosen the school committee for 
the year 1829 : John Brown Francis, Thomas Remington, 
Joseph W. Greene, George A. Bray ton, Augustus 
G. Millard, Elisha Brown, Franklin Greene, Henry 
Tatem, Daniel Rhodes. Thomas Holden, Jeremiah 
Greene, Sion A. Rhodes, Rice A. Brown and Waterman 
Clapp. The committee of wdiich, George A. Bray ton, 
late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of this State, 
was the Secretary, made a report in behalf of the com- 
mittee, embracing the preceding j^ear also, (no report 
of the year 1828 having been previously made), in 

* It also .states, that there are in the town o20 dwelling houses, 13 
cotton factories, 2 woolen factories, one arichor forge, one gin distil- 
lery, 12 grain mills, 20 dry goods and grocery stores, and three druggist 
stores. 



1800-75.] PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 131 

which a detailed account of their labors is given. This 
report states that the committee was organized on the 
21st of June, 1828, and proceeded to divide the town 
into suitable districts and make arrangements for suitable 
places in which to hold the schools. They divided the 
town into eleven districts. The Crompton district was 
set off in 1830. The number of scholars attending the 
schools in 1829 was reported as 763, and the amount of 
money expended, $908 50. In 1830, the number of 
scholars had increased to 840. 

In November, 18^45, an unsuccessful attempt Avas made 
to induce the town to provide convenient school-houses 
for the several districts. The matter came up the following- 
year again, when it was again decided to leave the several 
districts to provide for their wants in this respect. It 
was soon found necessary to appoint some individual, 
whose duty it should be to superintend the schools, to 
examine candidates for teaching, visit the schools at 
stated intervals, and report their condition, with such 
suggestions for their improvement as in his judgment 
seemed desirable ; and at a town meeting held Feb. 18, 
1848, the committee were authorized to employ a suita- 
able person for this purpose, at an expense to the town 
of not exceeding fifty dollars. This amount has been 
graduall}^ increased to $200. The following persons have 
served the town as superintendents : Rev. Zalmon 
Tobe}", Rev. Geo. A. Willard, Rev. Benjamin Phelan, 
Oliver P. Fuller, Ira O. Seamans Esq., Wm. V. Slocum, 
Esq., and John F. Brown, Esq. 

There has been a gradual increase of the number of 
scholars and expenditures ot money, a better class of 
text-books, and a more thoroughly qualified class of 
teachers as time has advanced, but whether the children 
of the town as they leave the schools are generally 
better informed than those of a score of yea,vs ago, 
may be a question. A larger number leave the public 
schools at an earlier age than formerly, which would 
lower the general standard of intelligence in a commu- 
nity. A few do this to enter schools of a higher grade. 



132 .HISTORY OF WARWICK. [1800-75 

but a larger class, especially those whose parents are of 
foreign birth, to enter the mills and earn their living. 
The annual expenditures for the schools of this town have 
advanced from -13,605 61 for the vear 1854, 15,162 15 
in 1860, 810,274 50 in 1870, to"^ -111,261 07 in 1874. 
The report of the school committee for the year 
1874-6, gives the number of districts as sixteen, — Arctic 
not included — three of which, Natick, Phenix and Kiver- 
point, have three departments ; four of the remainder 
have two departments, viz. : Centreville, Apponaug. 
Crorapton and Pontiac; the remainder one only. Num- 
ber of boys registered, 857; number of girls, 787. 
Average cost per scholar the preceding year, $6 75. 

The rebellion against the United States government 
assumed a positive form by the bombardment of Fort 
Sumpter on the I2th day of April, 1861. On the 15th 
of the same month the President issued his proclamation 
for seventy-five thousand men, and the next day Gov. 
Sprague issued his order for the immediate organiza- 
tion of the First Kegiment. On the 20th, a detach- 
ment of that regiment was on its way to Washington. 
The work of recruiting was pursued vigorously, the 
several towns of the State vying with each other in 
making up their quotas. The amount paid by this town 
for bounties to soldiers during the progress of the war, 
was $94,214 52 : amount paid in aid of families of vol- 
unteers, $28,183 26 ; aggregate disbursements for war 
purposes, -|122,397 78 ; amount assumed and repaid by 
the State, $31,800 00, leaving the actual expense of the 
town for war purposes, $90,597 78. * 

* Adjutant General's Report for 18 !5. 



ACCOUNTS OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT 

OF THE SEVERAL VILLAGES IN THE 

TOWN OF WARWICK. 



134 HISTORY OF WABWICK. 



Sketches of the Origin and Development of the Several Villages 
in the Town of Wariviclc. 

Before giving a specific account of the several villages 
that form so important portions of the town of Warwick, 
let us in fancy ascend one or two of the surrounding 
hill tops and take a bird's eye view of them. The 
scenery from them is one of rare grandeur and beauty. 
Not so extensive, it is true, as may be obtained from the 
summit of Mt. Washington and other noted elevations, 
but one that will amply repay the necessary effort to 
observe it. Nearly a score of thriving manufacturing 
villages, strung together like beads upon a string, full of 
bus}^ industry, nestling along the two branches of the 
river, that gives the village its name, ma}' be seen at a 
single glance — each possessing its peculiar features of 
interest, and altogether forming a community of thrift 
and enterprise that has borne an important part in 
making our little State noted beyond her limited bounda- 
ries. 

One of the best views may be had from Prospect Hill, 
a point on the New London turnpike, midway between 
the villages of Ceutreville and Natick, and the best time, 
the morning, when the sun from the east sends his full 
beams over the snrroui.ding landscape. To the east- 
ward and ten miles distant lies the earliest settled 
portion of the toM'n, called originally Shawomet, but of 
late years, Old Warwick, with the pleasant sea-side 
summer resorts of Rocky Point, Oakland Beach and 
Buttonwood Beach, and nearer in the same direction the 
village of Apponaug. Almost at our feet is the cosy 
little hamlet of Arctic, upon the south branch of the 



WARWICK VILLAGES. 135 



Pawtuxet * river, with its spacious mill and cleanly sur- 
roundings, its regular rows of tenement houses, skirted 
with trees, the whole reminding one of a miniature 
kingdom of children's toy-houses, with the mill as the 
palace of the king. To the southward lie the villages 
of Centreville and Crompton, with their manufactories, 
churches and dwellings embowered with trees, whose 
heavy foilage adds increasing beauty to the scene. Still 
farther off, bearing to the right, in homage to the river, 
we behold the village of Quidneck, with the old " Tin 
Top," as a prominent object, and still beyond, the 
village of Anthonj , with its mammoth new mill; these 
last two villages being in the town of Coventry. 
Washington lies just beyond. These commencing with 
River Point at our right and out of view from this posi- 
tion, form the seven principal villages of the south branch 
of the Pawtuxet. 

Starting again at our immediate right at River Point, 
where the two branches of the river unite, and following 
the north branch we have before us the village of Clyde, 
with the extensive works of Hon. Simon H. Greene & 
Sons, Lippitt, Phenix, Harrisville, Arkwright and the less 
distinctly visible ones of Fiskville, Jackson and Hope. 
Each lying apparently quiet between the wooded hills 
that loom up on either side, but teeming with an 
active, busy population. The last five mentioned lie 
without the boundaries of Warwick, but belong essen- 
tially to the Pawtuxet family. 

Moving a few rods to the eastward to the brow of the 
hill, we have another view, still more extensive. At 
our feet nearly, lies the village of Natick with its large 
cotton mills, which take the full flow of the united 
branches of the Pawtuxet with Pontiac a mile or two 



* Pawtuxet is an indian name, as also Pawtucket and Pawcatuck, 
all names of livers in Kliode Island. Pawtucket is said to signify 
great falls ; Pawtuxet, little falls, and Pawcatuck, no falls, but I do 
not vouch for them. Williams in his key to the Indian language does 
not give their meaning. Judge Potttsr says Pawtucket means a 
"union of two rivers and a fall into tide water, because there the 
fresh water falls into salt". — [Pequot Testimonies, p. '2(i6. 



136 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

beyond. Thence onward the State Farm in Cranston, 
and in the distance, Providence, Warren, Bristol, Fall 
River and Newport. The best time for this view is in 
the afternoon, when the sun is shining upon them from 
the west. 

An equally extensive and no less beautiful view may 
be obtained from the eminence on Woodside avenue, 
near the residence of the late J. W. A. Greene, on the 
afternoon of a clear day. If the view is taken from 
these positions on a moonless and cloudless night of 
winter, when the stars overhead seem reflected by the 
numerous lights below, the brilliantly lighted mills 
appear like so many new constellations; and after gazing 
awhile in dreamy wonder, one is inclined to forget which 
is the true firmament. 

The little streams that squirm their way through 
these villages, are very industrious, providing the princi- 
pal and during a greater part of the year almost the 
sole power for driving the machinery of some thirty 
large cotton mills, with the necessary machine shops for 
repairs, with gristmills, sawmills, &c. Each village 
flows the water back to the one above it, and thus form 
a succession of watery steps from the reservoirs to the 
sea. Beside this, and when about exhausted from these 
accumulated labors, it very benevolently devotes itself 
to the domestic and mechanical uses of the good people 
of Providence. So that we may regard the Pawtuxet 
river, not only as a very benevolent and hard working 
river, but in some restricted sense as a Rhode Island 
Institution. To it we owe especially the present pros- 
perity of the villages along its banks, and in a large 
measure their very existence.* 

* In the year 1858, Hon. Henry Eousmaniere. then a resident of this 
town, published a series of articles in the Providence Daily Journal, 
entitled "Letters from the Pawtuxet," giA'ing a detailed account of 
tlie rise and development of most of the villages situated along 
he line of the river, abounding in historical, genealogical and 
traditional matter. Mr. Kousmaniere was State Commissioner of 
Public Schools in the State, and died in Providence several years 
ago. The "Letters" are honorably mentioned by Lieut. Governor 
Arnold in his history of Rhode Island, and in a recent conversa- 



EASTERN PART OF THE TOWN. 137 



Old Warwick:. 

Under this head we propose to speak of the eastern 
portion of the town, or that part lying east of the village 
of Apponaug. The term, Old Warwick, applies strictly 
to only the " Neck," and its immediate vicinity. As the 
eastern part of the town was the earliest portion settled, 
and the only part until after King Philip's Ws.r, the 
chief items of interest pertaining to it have already been 
mentioned in connection with the general history of the 
town. There are some others of minor importance that 
will be mentioned in this connection. Pawtnxet village 
in the northeasterly part was the abode of William 
Arnold, Robert ( 'oles, William Carpenter and Benedict 
Arnold, who in 1642, placed themselves and their lands 
under the protection of Masscichusetts, and became a 
source of considerable vexation to their neighbors at 
Shawomet. The difficulties wei-e finally settled and the 
people and their lands on the south side of the river were 
united to those of Warwick. Pawtuxet was the earliest 
settled portion of the territory within the present limits of 
the town. Of its local history the writer is not familiar. 

The early name of Warwick, and the one now applied 
by some to Old Warwick, was Shawomet or Mishawo- 
met, which is an Indian term for a spring. It was the 
name also early applied to territory on which Boston is 
situated — called sometimes Shawmut, and is also applied 
to a neck of land running from Slade's ferry, southwest, 
near Tiverton. There are several Indian names con- 
nected with portions of territory or bodies of water in 



tion with Judge Brayton, the latter spoke of them in a commend- 
atory manner. In tlie course of their publication, Mr. K. corrected 
some of the statements made in the earlier numliers, and probably 
woukl have made others had lie revised them for a more permanent 
form of publication. I have made a very free use of these let- 
ters in the following pages, verifying the statements so far as was 
practic:ible. There is always considf-rablt^ risk iu detailing events of 
a semi-historical or traditional nature, especially when they come 
withm the period of persons now living, and only from the considera- 
tion that much care and toil has been expended in their preparation, 
are they presented in these pages. 

*J2 



138 HISTORY OF WABWICK. 

this part of the town. Occupasnetuxet, or as it is printed 
in WalUng's map, Occu-Pas-Pawtuxet, Cove, the Senior 
John Greene estate, now owned in part by the heirs 
of the ]ate Governor Francis ; Ouchamanunkanet, 
meadow, southwest and near Pawtuxet ; Pasipucham- 
muck or Pascliuchammuck, Cove, which is the old mill 
cove at Conimiciit; Tuskatucket brook, between Appo- 
naug jind Old Warwick ; Chopequonset point, a mile 
south of Pawtuxet ; Weeweonk or Waw weonke creek, 
on the Nawsauket shore ; Wechenama or Nonganeck 
meadow, between Old Warwick and Pawtuxet river ; 
Posneganset, or Punhanganset or Pushaneganset pond, 
now called the George Arnold pond, southwest of Paw- 
tuxet village. These names have for the most part been 
superseded by those of English origin, and of easier pro- 
nunciation. Occupasnetuxet designated in early times, 
not only the cove, but the land of the j)ioneer, John 
Greene, in its vicinity. The south portion in later times 
became known as Passtuxet, and on this portion was his 
residence.* His house was probably ver}^ near the site 
of the present residence of Mr. Edward A. Cole. An 
old cellar near the spot many years ago, probably indi- 
cated the exact site. John Greene's land extended 
nearly to Conimicut Point. In 1783, the northern portion, 
inherited by Major John Greene (see page 69), was pur- 
chased by John Brown, and subsequently by inheritance 
came into possession of its present owners, children of 
the late Gov. John Brown Francis. John Brown in 
view of the fact that its ownership changed in the spring- 
time when everything was beginning to look fresh and 
beautiful, and also in recognition of its former occu- 
pants, named it Spring Green, by which term it is still 
known. It is one of the most beautiful spots in the 
town, with delightful water views to the eastward, and 
well-kept lawns and groves, and comprises a tract of 

* A sfatenieut on page .31 conveys tlie impression that John Greene, 
Senior, re^ide<^ on what is now the Spring Greene estate, which is 
erroneous. The statement shonUl have t)een that he "lived and died 
at Occupassnetuxet," the northern portion of -which is "now known 
as Spring Green, or the Gov. Francis Estate." 



RANDALL HOLDEN HOUSE. 



139 



about seven hundred acres. Near by is Namquid Point, 
where the Gaspee was destroyed. The old and spacious 
mansion house, with its various additions made from 
time to time, dates back to somewhere in the seven- 
teenth century. Near by is an old cone-shaped ice 
house, which if not the first one built in the State, is 
probably the oldest one now in existence. In a carriage 
house is an ancient chariot, which had the honor of 
bearing Gen. Washington over Rhode Island territory, 
when he made his visit to the State in August, 1790. 
The body of the old vehicle is suspended on heavy 
thorough braces attached to heavy iron holders as large 
as a man's wiist, the forvvai'd ones so curved as to allow 
the forward wheels to pass under them, in order that the 
chariot may be turned within a short compass. The 
chariot has but one seat for passengers, which will ac- 
commodate two persons, and an elevated seat for the 
driver, which is separate from the main body. The 
wheels are heavy, the hind ones twice the height of the 
forward ones, the tires of which are attached to the 
felloes in several distinct pieces. 
and odd lookino- vehicle. 



It is an interesting 




THE OLD RANDALL HOLDEN HOUSE. 

(From a pencil sketch by Mrs. John W. Greene.) 



140 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



The Randall Holden house was situated on the north 
side of main streec, about ten feet east of the present 
new house of Mr. Wm. Spencer. The ancient well is 
still used. It was one of the most ancient houses of the 
town, and was always known as the Randall Holden 
house, though it is not certain that it belonged to the 
pioneer of that name. His grandchildren are known to 
have lived in it. It was taken down fifteen or twenty 
years ago, and a portion of the material was used in the 
erection of the house now situated about a mile to the 
westward. Randall Holden, Senior, married Frances 
Clark, daughter of Jeremiah and Frances (Latham) 
Clark.* There is a portrait of Lewis Latham, father of 
Frances Latham, extant, now in possession of Mr. 
Lewis Greene, of Old Warwick. Randall Holden (see 
page 24), died July 23, 1692, aged 80 years. His son, 
Randall, died at the same age, in 1726, and like his 
father was called to important public positions in the 
colony. In 1696 he was a Deputy for Warwick ; in 
1703, a committee, of which he was a member, reported 
a " settlement of the boundary between Connecticut and 
Rhode Island," and in Oct. 28, 1719, he was one of a 
committee to run the lines and make a chart of the 
colony to be sent home to the English government.! 

The old Lippitt house, still standing at the head of 
the Warwick Neck road, claims a .passing notice, not 
less from its antiquity, than from the associations con- 
nected with it. It was the residence of Jeremiah 
Lippitt, who was Town Clerk for thirty-three years pre- 
vious to 1776, and the last place in this section of the 
town, in which the town records were kept for any con- 
siderable length of time. When the house was repaired 
in 1848, on removing the clapboards from the front por- 
tion, the marks of the stoop over the door, and also the 
show window of the southeast room, in which the 

* For many of lli« statemeuts pertaining to tliia section of tbe town, 
I am indebted to Mrs. John Wickes Greene, a lady of considerable 
antiquarian research. 

t Material for a genealo{?iv"al account of the Holden family is being 
gathered by Frederick A. Holden, Esq., Washington, D. C. 



EARLY BURIAL PLACES. 141 

records were kept, were distinctly visible. It was a 
place of common resort for those who wished to learn 
the news and discuss the various topics of the day, 
sharing the honors in this respect with the taverns and 
other places of public resort. 

Frequent mention is made in the records of town 
meetings being held at the house of Mary Carder. She 
was the widow of John, sou of Richard Carder, and a 
daughter of Randall Holden, Senior. She survived her 
husband many years. Her house stood about five hun- 
dred feet west of the road leading to the " Neck," near 
the present town pound. It was demolished about 
twenty-five years ago, having been used as a barn for 
many years previous to that event. 

The burial places in the vicinity are quite numerous. 
Each family in early times having one of its own upon 
their land. The first interments in the town were made 
upon land originally belonging to the Senior John 
Greene, and now in possession of Mr. Edward A. Cole. 
In a pasture on Mr. Cole's land is a tomb-stone bearing 
the following inscription : 

Here lieth the bodie of Sarah Tefft; interred March 16, 
1642, in the 67th year of her age. 

The above is a copy frotu the original stone taken from this 
spot, and deposited with tlie R. I. His. Society, in Providence. 

Erected in 1868, by Rufus Greene, of i'rovidence, a de- 
scendant of 7tli Gen. from John Greeue, from SaHsbui"y,Eng., 
in 1035, wlio was one of the original jiurchasers of these lands 
from Miantonomi, in the year 1642. 

The original stone at the grave of Sarah Tefft, was 
probably the earliest evidence of human mortality, of 
the kind, that the Warwick settlers left to their posterity. 
There are other graves near by, and at the head of one 
of them a stone bearing the name of Elizabeth Stone, 
with the date, 1707. The wives of John Greene and 
Robert Potter, who died from fright and exposure when 
the settlers were arrested and carried to Boston in the 
fall of 1(:)43, were probably buried near this spot and 
probably John Greene, himself, though there is nothing 
certain in regard to it. Other spots have been pointed 



142 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

out as having some claims to this honor. At this time 
the pioneers were hardly settled in their new homes, 
and the fact that an interment had been made in this 
spot in 1642, sugfjests that others dying so soon after- 
wards would be likely to be buried in the same place. 
Up to 1663 (see page 60), it seems to have been the 
intention of the settlers to provide some place where 
they could all be associated in death as they had been in 
life. This idea was, however, subsequently abandoned, 
and each family provided a suitable spot for itself. The 
Randall Holden ground is near that of the Wickes', at 
the head of the cove. One of the old places now nearly 
obliterated is about one hundred feet from the present 
school house. " One of the graves was that of Mr. 
Emmett, who was a school teacher at the time of his 
death, which took place in the year 1727. Good sub- 
stantial slate stones with suitable inscriptions marked 
the place of his interment until the vandalism that 
came in with our free schools broke them up."* The land 
around this spot was a common down to within a recent 
period, and an orchard occupied a portion ot it. Some 
of the trees o± which were standing to a comparative 
late date. A public burial place was laid out previous 
to Feb. 20, 1663, and referred to under that date, with a 
lot for a town house adjoining — '-ye buryinge place 
layd out for ye towne is eight poles squaer, joinging to ye 
western end of Peter Buizecott's aker of land," — but 
its exact location I have not been able to determine. 
Perhaps this may be the spot referred to. The town 
house probably failed of completion, though some pre- 
parations were made toward the building. The Indian 
war that broke out a few years after, possibly interfered 
with the good intentions of the peo[)le in that particular, 
or if it was built it perished in the general destruction 
of the war. The lot was early appropriated for school 
purposes, and the school house was used for the town 
meetings, as the following act of the town indicates: 



* Several of these items are contributed by John Holden, Esq. 



EARLY SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS. 143 



"At a town meeting held in Warwick at the house of Capt. 
James Carder, this "iSth of January, 1715-16, Mr. Eichard 
Greene. Moderator, Voated. that whereas a house hath lately 
bin built upon the town orchard for a schoole hous and great 
part of the charge hath bin paid by some partickular persons, 
therefore upon further consideration, It is surrendered up to 
be for the use of the towne for towne meetings upon occasions 
only. Reserving the liberty that it may be still for the use of 
a schoole hous lor themselves and the rest ot the town that 
shall see cause and remaining part of the cost and charge to 
be paid by a rato levied upon the whole towne the sum of thir- 
teene pounds in money or pay equivalent, to be paid to those 
that built the hous as above s'd to be paid out of the next 
towne rate, therefore we the proprietors for further encourage- 
ment of the said schoole wee doe by these presents Ennex the 
above said lot and orchard thereunto for the use of said 
schoole." 

This school house probably went to decay before the 
century closed, as Hon. John R. Waterman, who was 
born Feb. 19, 1783, says he went to school in what 
was then known as the new school house. It 
stood very near the church. A good pencil sketch of it 
is preserved in the family of Mr. Waterman. Among 
the earlier teachers remembered by Mr. Waterman, were 
Joseph Carder, son of James ; Charles Morris, who 
taught four years, and afterwards became a purser in the 
Navy ; Thomas Lippitt, a Warwick man, who married 
Waity Arnold, daughter of David, who recently died in 
Providence ; Ephraim Arnold, of Warwick. The ven- 
erable Mr. Waterman had his customary family reunion 
at his residence on his last birth day, having then airived 
at the age of 92. All his children, including the one 
from Virginia, were present. The following extract from 
the account of the gathering, we clip from the Providence 
Journal : 

"It was gratifying to find that "Time's wasting fingers" had 
touched their venerable father but slightly, and that in his case, 

"The stem footsteps of decay 
Come stealing on" 

almost imperceptibly. This result, the old gentleman himself 
attiibutes to liis systematic mode of life, and his simple and 
abstemious habi IS. His diet is of the very plainest, reduced 
in quantity to what most men would call "starvation rates." 



144 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



But it is to this regimen he ascribes his remarkable exemption 
from mnuy of the sufferings incident to old age. His intellect 
unclouded, his memory fie?h and accurate, his spirits cheerful, 
his relish for life scarcelj' abated — these he thinks, are blessings 
full wor h the price he pays. 

In evidence of executive ability, rare at his age, may be 
quoted the management of his large farm. Like a skillful 
general, marking out a campaign, Mr. W. plans and supervises 
everything, even to the smallest details; and seldom it is that 
children or grandchildren get ahead of him. Acre for acre, 
tew farms in this section show better result." 




The above spacious old domicil, known as the Benedict 
Arnold tavern, attained to considerable celebrity in its 
palmy days, beinsf a place of resort for those who delight 
in " tripping the light fantastic toe." Lieut. Governor 
Greene informs me that in his youthful days he had 
often visited it for this purpose. The young people 
for many miles around in the long winter evenings were 
wont to assemble here and hold their merry-makings, 
and the traveller stopped here on his journey, for a 
night, assured of finding good accommodations for "man 
and beast." It was situated on the north side of Main 
street, between the Quaker Meeting House and the road 
leading to Providence. It was also a place of resort for 
the older portion of the people, where they discussed 



EOCKY POINT. 145 



the news of the day. Mrs. Maplet Wickes, widow of 
William Wickes, who married Josiah, the father of 
Bendict Arnold, had in her widowhood been licensed to 
keep a tavern, but whether this was the building in which 
she entertained travellers or not, is unknown. Benedict 
Arnold was the grandfather of John Wickes Greene, Esq. 
The old building was demolished about the year 1840. 
Three acres of the extreme point of Warwick Neck, 
was conveyed to John Quincy Adams, President of the 
United States, and his successors, on May 17, 1828, by 
William Greene. The consideration was $750, The 
point was purchased as a site for a light house. Capt. 
Benjamin Greene, father of the above-named William, 
had earned his title upon the sea. It is said the Captain 
had an orchard, and the sailors along shore so molested 
the Captain's wife by stealing the fruit, that she de- 
nounced the whole class as rogues and thieves, excepting 
only her husband. An anecdote is told of the Captain, 
that when he was president of the town council, some one 
proposed to the council that there should be an inocula- 
tion for the small pox, which was prevalent in some of 
the other towns. Whereupon it is said the council voted 
that they would not have the small pox in the town by 
inoculation, or any other xoay. Probably the vote upon 
the matter, if taken, was not recorded. 

ROCKY POINT. 

Rocky Point, one of the famous shore resorts of 
Narragansett Bay, and by those competent to judge, said 
to be the most picturef<qae and beautiful spot on the 
coast from Maine to Florida, has rapidly grown in popu- 
larity for the last thirty years. It early belonged to the 
Stafford family. Two daughters finally inherited it, 
Mary, who married Thomas Holden, brother of John, 
who lives on the hill, and Phebe (Stafford) Lyon, wife 
of Jasper Lyon. The former sold her portion to Capt. 
Winslow, about the year 1847, for $1,200, and the latter 
sold hers to the same person a short time after for about 



146 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

the same price. Capt "Winslow commenced to make 
improvements, laying out tlie income in this manner 
until he sold it to Byron Spiague for $60,000. Mr. 
Sprague further improved it, building the observatory 
and the spacious private dwelling house in 1865. It 
now belongs to the American Steamboat Comj^any. 
Various changes and improvements have been made 
annually, until it has become a paradise for excursionists 
and pleasure seekers. Twent}^ years ago the rocks were 
all there, and the cove of less ample dimensions than 
now, but the spacious hotel, the mammoth dining hall, the 
concrete walks, and flying horses, and bowling alleys, and 
shooting galleries, and stables, and monkey cage, and 
inclined railroad, and mounds, filled with cart-loads of 
clam shells, enclosed with picket fences, to awaken the 
idea in susceptible minds of some dead Pumham lying 
within them, and passages under rocks of a thousand 
tons weight — all tjiese are comparatively modern im- 
provements. The locality is adapted equally for the 
crowds of excursionists, who land by thousands on its 
wharf, and for those who seek rest and relaxation in the 
bracing atmosphere, and find here a temporary home. 

Within the past few years real estate has taken a 
sudden rise in the vicinity, and many comfortable summer 
residences have been erected by persons living in Provi- 
dence and elsewhere. The Warwick Railroad has been 
built during the past year, and the ceremou}'- of driving 
the last spike was performed Dec. 3, 1874, and the road 
opened for travel in July of the present year. The road 
is eight and fifty-two one hundredths miles in length, and 
connects Providence with Oakland Beach. Its cost 
completed was estimated at $200,000. 

Leaving Warwick Neck in a southerly direction, we 
come to Horse Neck, across Warwick Cove, on the ex- 
treme point of which is Oakland Beach, another summer 
sea-side resort. 

OAKLAND BEACH. 

Oakland Beach is a new candidate for the favor of the 
. people, and the hotel, erected in 1873, and other btiild- 



THE BUTTONWOODS. 147 



ings, with the various objects of attraction, have ah-eady 
succeeded in rivalling Rocky Point in the numbers that 
flock from every direction during the season to enjoy 
brief seasons of relaxation. The grounds have been 
tastefully laid out. An artificial pond, spanned by tv^o 
rustic bridges has been excavated, and winds gracefully 
about the grounds, suppHed by water from the sea at 
high tide, over which a fleet of boats are constantly 
passing. Here too are the flying horses, and the shoot- 
ing galleries, and the dizzy swings, etc., and that which 
seems to be the special attraction to many, the clatn din- 
ners, when scores of l>ushels of the bi-valve. roasted upon 
the hot stones, find their wa}' to the hungry mouths of 
the excursionists. We venture the opinion that more 
clams are eaten in Warwick during the months of July 
and August, than in any other town or city in New 
England, if not in the country. 

THE BUTTON WOODS. 

The old James Greene homestead, at the Button woods, 
at present owned by Henry Whitman Greene, Esq., a 
descendant of the eighth generation from John Greene, 
senior, is a place of some historic interest. The cellar 
walls of the first dwelling-house, erected upon the place, 
probably by James Greene, son of John, and brother of 
the Deputy Governor John jr., may still be seen. It 
was built of stone, about thirty feet long by fifteen wide, 
one story with a basement opening toward the east. 
The house was demolished more than sixty years ago. 
The present dwelling, built a few feet from the old one, 
was erected in 1687, and is said to have been seven years 
in building. It was built by James, the son of the 
former. The east end, with the chimneys, are of brick, 
the clay of which was taken from Warwick cove, and 
burnt upon the farm. The mortar was made of shell 
lime, which was also burnt near by. Within the build- 
ing are various evidences of its strength and antiquity. 
The mammoth fireplace and heavy oaken, protruding 



148 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

beams (the latter as seen from the cellar, formerly the 
foundation for the flooring, being about a foot square, 
and not more than a foot apart,) with heavy stair ways 
leading to the upper story, all have an ancieTit look. 
The present proprietor has a cane which has been 
handed down from his ancestors. The tradition respect- 
ing it is, that James Greene, the second of that name, 
bought it in England, while on a visit there. It was 
made of Malacca wood, surmounted with a heav}^ ivory 
knob, made from a whale's tooth ; beneath this is a silver 
ferule with the initials "I. G." and the date "1687,'' 
with an iron point, about two inches long at the bottom 
of the stick. It would be a formidable weapon in the 
hands of a strong man if used as a bayonet. 

A few rods from the building stands one of the ancient 
Buttonwood trees, from which the farm receives its 
familiar appellation of the Buttonwoods. This old tree 
measures, near the ground, seven feet in diameter. 

James Greene, senior, took up his residence at Potowo- 
mut, upon lands that have continued in possession of his 
descendants. He married Deliverance Potter, daughter 
of Robert Potter, for his first wife and Elizabeth Anthony 
of Rhode Island, for his second, Aug, 8, 1665. He died 
April 27, 1698, at the age of 71. His will devising his 
estate and duly witnessed by Anne Greene, Pasco 
Whitford and William Nickols, bears the date March 22, 
1698. 

His son James, residing at Nausauket, died March 12, 
1712, at the age of 52. His will is dated the day before 
his death : after committing his "soul unto ye hands of 
ye only True God, and Blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ, 
in and through whom, 1 hope to obtain mercy and for- 
giveness of my manifold sins and Transgressions, and to 
be received by him into his everlasting kingdom," he 
provides that "his loving wife Mary Greene," shall have 
half of his house and farm during her life, which upon 
her decease was to go to his son James ; the other half, 
was given to his son Fones Greene, with legacies to his 
remaining seven children. Fones Greene, died July 29, 
1758, at the age of 67. His will was duly executed on 



CAPT. JAMES GREENE. 149 

the 10th of July previous, witnessed by Thomas Rice, 
jr., Anne Rice and Jeremiah Lippitt. He gave his 
"mansion house and westermost part of my homestead 
farm, together with all the buildings," to his son James ; 
also his "thatch bed and upland," on the easterly part of 
his farm nearly opposite "to where the channel of the 
Horse-neck cove, so called, branches out into two chan- 
nels." Provisions were made for his wife, giving her 
the use of a portion of the mansion house and a privilege 
in " the old house, and cheese house," and requiring his 
sons to provide out of the estate suitable provisions 
during her life. 

Capt. James Greene, the oldest of the six children of 
Fones, just mentioned, and chief heir of his father's 
landed estate at Nausauket, was born Dec. 2, 1713, mar- 
ried Patience, daughter of Capt. John Waterman, April 
10, 1740, and died Sept. 3, 1802, aged 88. " He was a 
member of the Baptist Society in Warwick for upwards 
of sixty years." His last will is dated Sept. 14, 1799, 
and witnessed by James Whipple, Bowen Arnold and 
James Jerauld. He gives to James Greene, two-thirds 
of his homestead farm, with the buildings thereon, (ex- 
cepting a portion of the house, which he gave to his 
grandson, James Warner Greene,) also two-thirds of his 
"thatch bed at the south end of the Neck," and an equal 
portion of all his other lands. To his grandson, Warner 
James Greene, the remaining third of the homestead 
farm, thatch bed, and other lands. To his daughter, 
Patience, who married Abraham Lockwood, his state 
securities, certain sums of money, household articles &c., 
with various bequests to his grand-children. His wife 
had died about five years previous. On the death of his 
father James, his only son Warner James Greene, who 
had ah-eady inherited one-third of the estate from his 
grandfather, received the remaining two-thirds of the 
homestead, or so much of it as remained in possession of 
his father at the time of his death, and on the decease of 
Warner James Greene, it came into the possession of its 
present occupants. 

*13 



loO HISTORY OF WARWICK, 



Of this estate were sold, three years ago, one hundred 
and thirty acres of land, bordering upon the beach, to an 
association of gentlemen, known as the Buttonwood 
Beach Association, for $22,000. This association has 
since laid out the grounds in a tasteful manner, and 
placed them in the market. They erected a large Hotel 
in 1872, at a cost of some $20,000. Some fifty or more 
cottages, some of them quite expensive, have been 
already erected, and each year increases the number. 
The grounds are pleasantly located, having a beach a 
mile long, surmounted by a bluff nearly the whole 
length, some eight or ten feet high. The elevated ridge 
of Warwick Neck shelters it from the cold east winds, 
which render Martha's Vineyard so frequently cheerless, 
while the warm southerly and westerly outlook, affords 
ample scope for the genial breezes from those directions. 
To the southward lie the waters of the Narragansett, 
with the waters of the Coweset reaching to the village of 
East Greenwich, with Chippewanoxet in the fore-ground, 
and across the bay the fertile farms and stately 
dwellings of Potowomut. Still further south are the 
islands of Prudence and Patience, Jamestown and the 
island city of Newport. The constitution of the Button- 
wood Beach Association requires that six out of its nine 
managers, with the president, shall be of the Baptist 
denomination, giving it somewhat of a denominational 
character. 

APPONAUG AND COWESET SHORE. 

We find a reference to Apponaug as early as the year 
1663, in the proprietors' records, but of no permanent 
settlement until the year 1696, when John Micarter of 
Providence, erected his fulling mill on Kekame wit brook* 

* See pagei'5. "At a proprietors' ineetingr. held January 8th, 1722-3, 
Major Anihony Low, moderator. Major Job Greene, Capt. John 
Waterman and Capt. Benjamin Greene, were appointed a committee, 
to agree with Samuel Greene, concerning the 1 nlling mill grant and 
to present a plat of the same for the approval of the propritstors." — 
Proprietors' Records. 

"At a proprietors' meeting, called by a -warrant, and held at the 



APPONAUG. 151 

In the earlier reference it is called Aponahock, and in 
the later Aponake. The word is an Indian term, 
according to Roger Williams, and signifies an oyster. 
Williams, writes it Opponenauhack. The place became 
known as the Fulling mill, but finally resumed its an- 
cient appellation, by which it is now more generally 
known. An arm of the cove that makes up in the rear 
of where formerly stood the old Baptist meeting-house, is 
known by the name of Pawwaw cove. The tradition is 
that an Indian priest or pawwaw, was drowned there 
while attempting to cross it Apponaug cove in early 
times, was several feet deeper than at present, and even 
since the year 1800, sloops of fifteen tons burden found 
no difficulty in entering it, and approaching the store of 
Jacob Greene & Co. 

In June, 1T96, the General Assembly, granted permis- 
sion to John Stafford to erect a tide mill, for the grind- 
ing of corn and other grains, at or near the bridge, "pro- 
vided that the mill dam be made and erected with suit- 
able waste-gates for venting the superfluous water, and 
in such a manner as not to back the water or otherwise 
injure the mills of Mr. Caleb Greene ; and also provided, 
that the said John Stafford, shall make, and leave open 
at all proper times, a suitable passage, not less than six- 
teen feet wide, in the said dam, for the passage of rafts 
and boats up and down said river." 

house of Josiah Hynes, in Warwick, the thirby-first day of January, 
A. D. 1735-6. Vot^id: John Wickes, chosen chairman. Present 2(5 pro- 
prietors. The committee have presented their lieturne by a plat, 
made hy Capt. Thomas Rice, surveyor, dated January 17 day, 1735 6, 
which was voted and accepted by the iiroprietors, and accordingly the 
Proprietors have drawn their generall allotmeuts, which may fully 
appear by the plat and list thereof — Ibid. 

The above paragraph refers to a tract of land, "Lighing between 
Sweet's meadow and Aponangh brig." The tract was divided into 
fifty-one lots, John Wickes drew tlie first, and Richai-d Waterman the 
fifty-tirst. 

"A true plat, errors excei)ted, of part of the Proprietors' commons, 
called ye fower miles conimous lying near Apponog, part near ye 
Bridge and jiart near wood pint, so called, which was surveyed with 
the assistance of Colonell Joseph Stafford, Capt. Charles HoMen and 
Capt. Thomas Kice, committee which was by the proprietors appinted 
for ye same, and platted this 35 [25?] of Oct., A. D. 1751. Voted, that 
this plat be accepted by the proprietors. — Ibid. 



152 HISTOK.Y OF WARWICK. 

Whether the original fulling mill was kept in contin- 
uous operation from its early beginning, to the time 
when the building known as such, ceased operations, 
some sixty years aojo, or what changes it underwent 
during the first century, it is perhaps, impossible to say. 

It was followed by a cotton mill, run by a company, of 
which Capt. Caleb Greene, father of Mr. Albert D. 
Greene, was the agent. The mill was of three stories, 
shingled on all sides, and remained, until about the time 
the Print works went into operation. There was also a 
saw and grist mill in operation near by, for some years. 
Just in the rear of Mr. Benjamin Vaughan's house, was 
a small building used for the carding of wool, which 
was brought in by the neighboring farmers, and when 
carded was carried home and spun for use. It was run 
a part of the time by a Mr. Manchester, and also by the 
Wilburs. Mr. Wilbur, father of the late Col. Pel eg 
Wilbur, of Washington village, had a stoi'e in the village, 
in the year 1800 and afterwards, in which he sold dry and 
West India goods, and in one j)art was kept the usual sup- 
ply of New England rum. It is said there were not less 
than seven of these variety stores at one time, and seve- 
ral taverns, all of which, kept liqui)r for sale at retail. 
The old Wilbur house still stands on the east side of the 
street, leading toward Greenwich. Jacob Greene, bro- 
ther of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, had a store out in the 
water, off against Mrs. Remington's lot, for convenience, 
perhaps in unlading merchandise from the sloops that 
entered the harbor. The water surrounded it. One of 
the oldest houses, and perhaps the first framed house 
in the village, stands next north of Mr. At wood's 
hotel. 

Early in the present century, sloops and schooners 
were built here, and one ship is remembered by a person 
now living as also having been built. Trade was car- 
ried on with neighboring ports to a considerable extent. 
Jacob Greene & Co. here shipped their anchors fi'om 
their forge in Coventry, and received their coal and 
black sand. It was thought at one time, by some, that 



APPONAUG VILLAGE. 153 



the village would come to much larger proportions and 
assume greater importance than it has ever arrived at ; 
and one of the inhabitants — as he beheld several houses 
then recently erected, in the exuberance of his imagi- 
nation, and with a preliminary remark uttered in not 
very choice language, — declaied that "Apponaug will 
yet be bigger than London." 

On two of the four corners, in the heart of the vil- 
lage, were taverns ; on the southeast, a blacksmith shop 
occupied by Gideon Congdon who died very suddenly ; 
and on the south was the old house in which Samuel 
Greene, son of the Deputy-Governor, John Greene, 
lived, Samuel Greene married a daughter of Benjamin 
Gorton, one of the sons of Samuel Gorton, Senior. He 
afterwards purchased of Samuel Gorton, Jr., the house 
which the latter had erected on one of the Coweset 
farms near Greenwich, now occupied by Ex-Lieut.-Gov. 
William Greene. He, however, continued to reside at 
Apponaug until his death. He died of small pox at 
the age of fifty. His son. Gov. William Greene, re- 
sided on the estate purchased of Gc>rton. The old 
Greene house, which stood back a little from the street, 
was torn down forty-eight years ago and its timbers 
were put into the new one erected the same year upon 
the corner. It still remains in the Greene family. One 
of the ancient houses of the place, a one-story building, 
stood upon the site of the present residence of the ven- 
erable Daniel Brown (now in his ninety-fourth year), 
near the railway depot. The present residence of 
Mr. Brown was built about eighty-live years ago, by 
Nathaniel and James Stone, and was subsequently pur- 
chased by Joseph Brown, father of the present owner. A 
choice bit of water, called the Sweet-Meadow Brook, 
passes through the farm and has been the source of 
considerable interest to Mr. Brown. Capt. Brown and 
his father also were born in the old house, according to 
the Captain's statements. In the chambers of Capt. 
Brown's house lived Mr. Caleb Arnold for a while, and 
there, his son, Mr. John B. Arnold, of Centreville, was 
born. Joseph Arnold, brother of Caleb, was a re vol u- 



154 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

tionary soldier, and drew a pension as major, to the close 
of his life. Col. Thomas Westcott, a descendant of 
one of the founders of the town, and a man of some 
note in the early part of the century, was the Sheriff of 
Kent couutjs and at one time a General in the militia. 
He married Marcy Arnold, of Cranston, February 4, 
1781, and had eight children. Susanna was born March 
29, 1782 ; Lucy"; December 30, 1783 ; Catherine, May 
5, 1785 ; Jaleel, February 3, 1788 ; Thomas, February 
13, 1790 ; John, August 25, 1792; Samuel A, Decem- 
ber 11, 1794 ; Aribut, November 15, 1796 ; Augustus 
A., May 11, 1798. The two last died in infancy. 
Catherine married William Marble for her first husband, 
and James Haven for her second. She died in Centre- 
ville, a few years ago. Her son, Thomas Marble, Esq., 
is superintendent of the mills at Allendale. Allen, 
another son, was drowned in New Bedford in 1860. 

One of the noted residents of the village, and whose 
influence extended bej^ond its limits, was Charles Brayton, 
for many years clerk of the town, and from May, 
1814, to May, 1818, an Associate Judge of the Supreme 
Court. He was subsequently chosen to the same 
position in 1827 and remained several years. His 
father, Daniel Brayton, was a blacksmith and removed 
from Old Warwick. lie removed his shop from Old 
Warwick to Apponaug, to near the spot where his sou, 
the Hon. Wm. D. Brayton, formerly a Member of Con- 
gress, now resides. Hon. George A. Brayton, late 
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, is also one of his 
sons. The latter was elected Associate Justice in ] 843, 
remaining in that position until 1868, when he was 
elected Chief, and remained in that position until within 
about a year. He is a graduate of Brown University, 
class of 1824. 

Previous to the building of the Town House, in 
1834-5, the town meetings were held at various ))laces, 
chiefly at the taverns ; and the privilege of having 
them was, in later years, sold at auction to the highest 
bidder. The benefits accruing to the successful bidder" 



TOWN HOUSE LOT IMPROVED. 155 

were probably derived from the increased amount of 
liquor that would be sold upon his premises during the 
meetings. The following is an extract from the town 
records referring to this matter: 

At a Town Meeting held at Daniel Whitman's Inn on the 25th 
of July, 1812, it was " Voted that the holding of the Town 
Meetings be sold to the highest Bidder, to any person within 
the Town of Warwick, for one year, and that the money aris- 
ing therefrom be paid into the Town Treasury; and the same 
was accordiug Struck otf to Benjamin Greene, (S. C.) for the 
sum of One Hundred and Sixty-five Dollars, who was the 
Highest Bidder; that the same be paid into the Treasury at 
the Expiration of the Year, and that Security be given to the 
satisfaction of the Town Treasurer within Ten Days." 

At a subsequent meeting the town accepted the note 
of Benjamin Greene, endorsed by Caleb Greene, Jr., 
" for the sum the town meetings were bid off for." 

Previous to 1849 the grounds about the Town House 
presented a barren, desolate appearance ; the old ash 
tree in the rear of the clerk's office being about the only 
tree of importance upon the grounds. At the April 
town meeting of this year the town requested its clerk 
to " procure and set out five elm trees, in front of the 
Town House lot and guard the same against cattle by 
placing around each tree a strong fence or barricade." 
As the other trees upon the grounds at the present time 
are of the same kind, and about the same size, it is prob- 
able they were also set out about the same period. At 
the same meeting a sum not exceeding two hundred 
dollars was voted to build a shed upon the rear portion 
of the lot. At the April town meeting, in 1854, the 
Kentish Artillery were granted the privilege of building 
an Armory on the eastern portion of the town house lot. 

In the year 1854 there was more than usual interest 
in the temperance movement. Efforts on the part of 
the temperance people looking toward the suppression 
of the traffic, were met with violent opposition on the 
part of their opponents, and occasional acts ot violence 
for the purpose of intimidating the more active pro- 
moters of the reform, were resorted to. One of these law- 



156 HISTORY OF WABWICK. 

less and disgraceful aud cowardly acts was perpetrated 
in the village of Apponaug, which was followed a 
few years after by one of murderous malignity in the 
village of Centreville. In the former village a keg of 
powder was placed in the barn of Mr. William Harrison 
and near the then residence of the present town clerk, 
and exploded/ blowing the barn to pieces and seriously 
endangering the lives of the people in the vicinity. The 
Town Council immediately offered a reward of two hun- 
dred dollars for the arrest and conviction of the person 
or persons who committed the act, and the town, a few 
days after (Nov. 7), offered an additional reward of five 
hundred dollars, but no one was convicted. 

Passing southward we come to the site of the old 
Episcopal meeting house which stood about midway be- 
tween Apponaug and Greenwich. It was erected here 
in 1728, having formerly stood ni Newport where it bore 
the name of Trinity church. According to tradition, it 
was floated from Newport to this place, where it re- 
mained for over thirty years, when the migratory spirit 
came over it again and it was taken down once more 
and placed upon the water with the intention of remov- 
ing it to Old Warwick. A storm came on and the 
materials were scattered and never reached their desti- 
nation. Chippewanoxet, a name euphonious in Indian 
but rude and diabolical in English, it being interpreted 
Devil's Island, is a small Island at high tide, near the 
summer resort known as Read's Palace. An old burial 
spot a short distance from it and near the railroad cul- 
vert is traditionally of Indian origin. 

In reaching this point we have passed the palatial 
residence of Amasa Sprague, Esq., at the old Ladd wat- 
ering-place, the most costly dwelling-house, probably, 
in the town ; with its extensive and beautiful lawns and 
shrubbery. To the southward and not far from the 
site of the old Indian burial ground, is the pleasant resi- 
dence of the late Dea. Moses Wightman, formerly 
owned and occupied by the late Rev Dr. Crane and 
lonp- known as the Oliver Gardiner hou . On the hill 



THE GOV. GREENE MANSION. 157 

the massive stone dwelling-house of Alfred A. Read, 
Esq., vying, in architectural beauty, with the Sprague 
house, to the northward, and overlooking Narragansett 
Bay and the surrounding country. On the corner of 
Division street and the road leading to Apponaug is an 
old house occupied during the first decade of the pres- 
ent century and for many years, by John Mawney who 
was postmaster for many years in the adjoining village. 

The old cozy mansion presented in the engraving, is 
the residence of Ex-Lieut.-Gov. Wm. Greene, and is 
one of the historic houses of the town. The original or 
southeastern portion was built about the year 1685, by 
Samuel Gorton, Jr., whose father was one of the twelve 
original purchasers of the town lands. It lays no claim 
to architectural beauty. The old colonial style of ar- 
chitecture, as indicated by the few dwelling-houses still 
preserved, was one in which the owner studied carefully 
his means and his necessities rather than the develop- 
ment ot his architectural taste. Built, usuallj*, of the 
best timber of the surrounding forests, it became not 
only the quiet home of his family in times of peace, 
but also his castle in seasons of danger. As his family 
increased and more room was demanded, an addition 
was built on some convenient side, or another story was 
added. Sometimes, as in the present case, where no 
lack of means prevented the removal of the old build- 
ing and the erection of one of modern structure and 
elegance, a no less serious obstacle intervened. The old 
house, limited in capacity and homely in appearance, 
had become sacred to its possessor, by the many time- 
hallowed associations connected with it. It was the 
home of his ancestors long since gone to their rest. 
Within its venerable walls he first lisped his mother's 
name, and no other dwelling, however convenient or 
elegant, would ever seem so much like home to him. 
From such considerations the old dwelling was allowed 
to remain ; subject, however, to such modifications as 
the necessities of the occupants demanded. The build- 
ing fronts to the south. 

14 



158 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

The large stone chimney in the centre of the building 
belonged to the original part and was built according to 
the custom of the times, half out of doors, having been 
enclosed when the addition was made on the west side 
at a subsequent date. The one on the eastern end has 
been taken down since the photograph from which the 
engraving was taken was procured, and extensive addi- 
tions have been made in the rear. The front however, 
still retains its ancient form. Some interior modifications 
have also been made. The old grandfatherlv fire-places 
in whose cosy corners, children half grown could stand 
erect, and look upward at night and count the stars, 
with the well polished brass fire dogs reflecting their 
faces in grotesque shapes, have been superseded by 
modern inventions. There is still preserved, however, an 
air of the olden time, in the low studded rooms, the 
heavy oaken beams, here and there protruding from the 
walls and ceiling, the figured porcelain tiles about the 
fire-places, and various arrangements for comfort or or- 
nament, that would not fail to attract the curiosity of the 
visitor. 

The small building in front, enclosed partly in lattice 
work, was built for a well-curb in 1794. On its apex is 
a gilded weather-cock, which from its low and protracted 
position must have been in a chronic state of uncertainty 
as to which way the wind blew. The well is still pre- 
served, though not at present in use. It was originally 
jDrovided with the old-fashioned sweep. The extensive 
out-buildings are of modern structure, having been built 
chiefly by the present resident, and are provided with all 
the conveniences that wealth can furnish for the various 
kinds of live stock in which the Governor takes a con- 
siderable interest. 

The house has been the home of one of the historic 
families of Rhode Island for several generations, and in 
this circumstance lies its chief claim to special interest. 

Samuel Greene, who was the youngest son of the 
Deputy Governor John Greene, married the daughter of 
Benjamin Gorton, brother of Samuel Gorton jr., and pur- 



THE GOV. GREENE MANSION. 159 

chased the estate of the latter in 1718, the farm was the 
17th of the " Coweset purchase," Samuel Greene died 
two years after the purchase of the estate from Gorton, 
when it came into the possession of his son William, who 
held the office of Deputy Governor of Rhode Island 
from July 15, 1740, to May, 1743, and afterwards that 
of Governor, for nearly eleven years, between 17-43 and 
1758, dying in office Jan. 28, 1758. During the year 
1758, the west portion of the house was built by Wm. 
Greene, jr., a new aspirant for political honors. It was 
enlarged in view of his approaching marriage, and 
was destined to gather about it associations rich in his- 
toric and family interest. In the year 1777, its owner 
was. elected to the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court, and in the following year to that of Governor, a 
position which he ably filled for eight successive years. 
The war of the revolution was then in progress and the 
west room became the Governor's council room. In it 
the Governor and his council with Gen. Sullivan, Gen. 
Nathaniel Greene, Lafayette, Rochambeau and other 
notable personages, both civil and military, held frequent 
consultations upon important national aifairs. Here 
their several views were exchanged, questions of ex- 
pediency discussed and giave matters of doubt unravelled. 

At intervals, when the demands of duty were less 
pressing, they were wont to gather here for temporary 
relaxation and enjoy the generous hospitalities of the 
Governor's family. The acquaintances thus formed 
ripened into personal friendships that were destined to 
be gratefully acknowledged in after years. The room 
still contains some mementos of those times. On its 
walls may be seen a large mezzotint engraving of Gen. 
Nathaniel Greene, presented by Lafayette to the daugh- 
ter of Gen. Greene many years afterwards, wliich bears 
on its lower margin the following inscription in the 
hand-writing of the patriotic Frenchman : — 

" To dear Mrs. Shaw, from her father's companion in 
arms and most intimate friend — Lafa3^ette." 

A portrait of Gen. Greene, painted by Charles Peale, 



160 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and said to be the best one extant, hangs on the oppo- 
site wall. It originally belonged to the collection of the 
Hon, William Bingham, of Philadelphia, who was a 
member of the United States Senate at the same time 
that the Hon. Ray Greene, the father of the present 
resident, held a similar position from Rhode Island. On 
the death of Mr. Bingham, his collection was scattered, 
and this painting was accidentally discovered subse- 
quently in Philadelphia, where its present owner was 
fortunate enough to secure it. 

Among the notable visitors of that, and subsequent 
years, was Dr. Franklin, who was on terms of intimacy 
with the family, and usually made a friendly visit here 
whenever he came to New England. While in France, 
he kept up a frequent correspondence with one of the 
members of the family, his letters still being preserved 
in the family archives. The west window overlooking a 
beautiful valley, bears the name of " Franklin's window," 
from the interest he is said to liave taken iu sitting 
beside it and gazing at the prospect it afforded. In the 
east room, hanging upon the wall, is a small bronze me- 
dallion of the old philosopher and statesman, which the 
Governor assured me was hung there by Franklin him- 
self. In this latter room, in one corner, let down into 
the floor several inches, and then reaching to the ceiling 
overhead, stands an old coffin-shaped clock, ticking 
away, as it has done for the past one hundred and fifty 
years. Among the interesting manuscript relics, besides 
the letters of Franklin, is an original one of Washington 
and several of his autographs attached to public docu- 
ments, letters of Webster, Henry Clay and John Quincy 
Adams. 

It was iu this house that Gen. Nathaniel Greene, then 
living in Coventry, and engaged in business with his 
brothers, in their anchor forge, became acquainted with 
Miss Catherine Littlefield, daughter of John Littlefield, 
Esq., of New Shoreham. They were married in the west 
room, by Elder John Gorton, July 20, 1774. 

In 1797, Hon. Ray Greene, son of Gov. William 



THE GOV. GREENE MANSION. 161 

Greene, jr., then the possessor of the old family resi- 
dence, was appointed a United State.> Senator, for two 
years, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of 
the Hon. William Bradford. He was one of the^talented 
and popular men of the times, and in 1799, was returned 
to the same position for the term of six years In 1801 
he resigned his position to accept the office of District 
Judge of Rhode Island, to succeed Judge Bourne. The 
appointment was made by John Adams as he was about 
retiring from the presidential office. There was some 
informality connected with the appointment, which was 
discovered too late to be rectified by Mr. Adams, and 
when the matter was referred to his successor, Mr. 
Jefferson, he refused to rectify it, and appointed instead, 
one of his own political adherents to that office. Mr. 
Greene thus by a simple misunderstanding on the part 
of another, lost both his senatorial and judiwal offices. 

The present resident was graduated at Brown Univer- 
sity in the class of 1817. Among his class-mates were 
Ex-Governor Charles Jackson, Judge William R. Staples, 
Rev. Dr. Henry Jackson and Professor Edward R. Lippitt. 
For forty-two years he was a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, 
where he was specially interested in the development of 
its public schools, and officially connected with them 
during most of that period. In 1862, he returned to his 
ancestral home, and in 1866, was elected to the office of 
Lieut. Governor of the State, Gen. Burnside receivino- 
the office of Governor. On the following year he was re- 
elected and at its close retired from official station, to 
pass the evening hours of an already long and busy life, 
in the quiet repose of the old homestead. 

Passing through the grounds to the rear of the house, 
we come to the old family burial place, in a quiet se- 
cluded spot, where repose the deceased members of the 
family of several generations. The lot is of a circular 
form and closely surrounded by a tall evergreen hedo-e 
composed of the pine, arbor vitee and Norway spruce 
varieties, tastefully intermingled and completely shut- 
ting out the view from the outside. Most of the stones 

*J4 



16'2 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

bear the simple name, time of the death and age of the 
deceased, without any attempt to eulogize their virtues. 

The oldest dates noticed were those of 1741, 1752, 
1758 and 1760. Here lie two of the Governors of 
Rhode Island, with their wives beside them. 

The following are verbatim copies of the inscriptions 
on two of the stones: 

In memory of the 

Hon''' William Greene Esq' 

Governor of the Colony: 

who departed this life 

J any 23d A. D. 1758 

In ye 62d year of his age. 

In memory of the 

Honorable William Greene Esqr 

Governor of this State for a number of years, 

Principally during the jDeriod of the successful 

Exertion for the Independence of America, 

who departed this life 

Nov. 29th 1809. 

In the 78th year of his age. 

CROMPTON. 

Previous to the year 1800, the territory, for miles 
around, was in possession of a comparatively few fami- 
lies ; Westerly, and reaching into Coventry, were the 
estates of the Tingleys and Mattesons ; on the south 
was the farm of Thomas Arnold, a part of one of the 
original Coweset farms, and assigned to Richard Carder 
in 1685 ; a portion of which is now owned by the heirs 
of Jonathan and James Tiffany. 

Thomas Arnold, of Coventry, on the llth day of March, 
1783, as per deed of that date, sold to Thomas Matteson, 
son of John, for one hundred and twenty-one pounds, 
seventeen shillings, lawful money, seventeen acres of land, 
bounded, " north, part on a pond and part on land 
of James Greene ; south, on land of the grantee ; west, 
on a highway, and east on hind of said James Greene." 
Thomas Matteson was the grand-father of Mrs. Albert 
H. Arnold. He was a blacksmith by trade, and became 



THE MATTESON FAMILY. 163 

possessed of a large landed estate : the old homestead is 
the house now occupied by Mr. John Phillips, of Quid- 
nick, who married a daughter of Elisha Matteson, a 
son of Thomas. Mrs. Phillips inherited it from her 
aunt. The blacksmith shop occupied the site of the 
dwelling-house next west of the old house now owned 
by Mrs. Eben Henrys. John, the brother of Elisha, re- 
sided in the house which formerly occupied the site of 
the present fine residence of Mr. Albert H. Arnold. 
The will of Thomas Matteson is dated March 14, 
1810. After making suitable provision for his wife, in 
addition to her right of dower, he gave to his son, 
George Matteson, all the land he had bought of Job 
Greene and Benjamin Fenner, which was ,a part of the 
farm "formerly owned by Col. Christopher Greene," to- 
gether with all his blacksmith's tools and one hundred 
dollars in money. To his two daughters, Sarah and 
Marcy, the lot of land opposite the dwelling house, con- 
taining, by estimation, forty-seven acres ;" also,, a cow 
and one hundred dollars in money to each of them, with 
two-thirds of all his " indoor movable property ;" and 
after mentioning legacies in money to each of his eight 
grand-children, he bequeathed his homestead, farm, and 
the remainder of his estate, both real and personal, to 
his two sons, Elisha and John, to be equally divided be- 
tween them. 

John Matteson purchases of his brother Elisha, at 
five different times, from April 10 to August 25, 1827, 
133 acres, at a total cost of $1,365, which, with the 
amount inherited from his father, and other purchases, 
gives him an ample domain. On the east end of the 
present farm of Mr. Albert H. Arnold, and near the 
river, was the dwelling-house of Moses Matteson, 
brother of Thomas, which was torn down not less than 
sixty years ago. The site of it may be still seen. The 
old apple trees in the vicinity of it probably bear some 
relation to the old house. Near by is a spring that fur- 
nished water for its inhabitants. The spring is now 
overflowed bv the river. 



164 HISTOEY OF WARWICK. 

To the north was the land of James Greene, a por- 
tion of which still remains in possession of his descend- 
ants. Easterly was farm No. 4, of the " Coweset pur- 
•chase," which was owned iii 1685, by the heirs of 
Ezekiel Holliman, who is spoken of as '-a pious, godly 
man," and who, in 1636, baptized Roger Williams, 
though he was a layman in the church. This farm was 
purchased some years before the Revolutionary war, by 
Stephen Arnold, a Judge of the Court of Common 
Pleas, and to whom reference has already been made. 
It extended from the Coweset road to the Highway run- 
ning from the village of Apponaug to Centreville, and 
contained about 240 acres. The house in which Judge 
Arnold reared a large family still stands on the north 
side of the road, on the brow of the hill opposite the 
Waterman Clapp farm. 

The farm on the opposite side of the road originally 
belonged to John Greene, Jr., in 1685, and the house in 
which Mr. Clapp now lives is one of the oldest in the 
vicinity. It was the ninth in the Coweset purchase. 
The changes that led to its present ownership can be 
only briefly mentioned. Among the children of John 
Greene was a son Peter, who was born February 4, 
1654; Peter married Elizabeth, daughter of Stephen 
Arnold, of Pawtuxet. They had seven children, the 
third of whom was named John, born March 5, 1686-7. 
This John — who is often alluded to as Pupt John 
Greene, of Coweset, to distinguish him from several 
other Johns in Warwick — married Mary, the daughter 
of his uncle, Job Greene, October 25, 1719. Capt. 
John Greene, of Coweset, had four children, one daugh- 
ter of whom married Silas Clapp, Capt. Greene died 
May 30, 1758, aged 72. In his will, dated August 5, 
1757, after several bequests, he gave his daughter, Mary 
Clapp, wife of Silas, the homestead farm on which he 
dwelt, and appointed her sole executrix. He left a 
widow who was insane, and made special provision for 
her comfort during her life. Silas Clapp died March 19, 
1777, aged Q8, and lies buried in the walled enclosure 



CROMPTON. 165 



upon the farm. The homestead was given to John 
Clapp, whose heirs still retain possession of it. Two 
years ago (1873), there were four brothers and sisters of 
this family, upwards of eighty } ears of age, three of 
whom were living in the old homestead. Wm. Clapp, of 
East Greenwich, aged eighty-seven, and Miss Marcy Clapp 
in her eighty-second year, died in 1873. The funeral of 
the latter was attended by Mrs. Meder, an approved 
preacher of the Society of Friends, who, herself, was 
also in her eighty-second year. Mr. Waterman Clapp is 
still vigorous, at the ripe age of eighty-eight, while his 
sister, Miss Ann Clapp, still continues her pilgrimage at 
the advanced age of ninety-two. 

On the east, and adjoining, is the (^oweset farm. No. 8, 
and belonging in 1685, to Richard Waterman, who was 
one of the twelve original purchasers of Warwick, of 
the Indians. Half of the farm fell to John Waterman, 
great-grandson of Richard, in 1720, from whom it 
fell to his son William. Capt. William died at an ad- 
vanced age, December 23, 1839. His daughter Marcy, 
was the second wife of the late James Greene, of Centre- 
ville. John Waterman, his son, inherited the farm, and 
was an industri(>us man, and worked in his fields until 
near the time of his death, which occurred May 26, 1857. 
One of his daughters married the first Governor William 
Sprague. 

Somewhat back from the road and near the dividing 
line between the Clapp and the Waterman farms, is a 
spot known as the "Old Wigwam," a place that was 
among the latest in this vicinity to be occupied by the 
natives. Mr. Waterman Clapp informed me last year 
(1874) that it used to be a favorite place for him when 
a boy, to hunt for Indian relics which were numerous at 
that time. 

Farm No. 3, opposite, was purchased of Robert 
Potter's heirs in 1607, by Israel Arnold ot Pawtuxet. 
A portion of it is now owned by the heirs of Jonathan 
Remington. The next plantation east belonged also to 
the Remingtons. The family came originally from 



166 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Wales. John, the first we have any knowledge of, and 
who probably was the progenitor of all of that name in 
Rhode Island, settled in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He 
became a citizen of Portsmouth, in Rhode Island, in 
1669, Stephen, one of his sons, was one of the grand 
jury in 1688. John, Jr., who we think, was another of 
his sons, was admitted a freeman in 1678. John, in 
1695, gave to his third son Thomas, his property in 
Haverhill, comprising a house and four acres of land on 
the river. Thomas settled on Prudence Island and sub- 
sequently located in Warwick. He bought farm No. 1, 
containing 240 acres, of John Warner and Philip 
Sweete in 1692-3 for £57. His children consisted of 
eight sons and two daughters. The daughters' names 
were Prudence and Mary, the latter l^earing the name 
of her mother. The sons were John, Thomas, William, 
Daniel, Joseph, Stephen, Matthew and Jonathan. His 
will, according to a singular custom, was proved before 
his death, which, however, occurred soon after. His 
son William, when he sold his share of the farm in 1712, 
to George Whitman, Jr., of Kingston, reserved " the 
burying ground where his father and grandfather are " 
interred. It seems from this that John Remington was 
buried in this place: "an old tombstone may be seen 
there bearing the initials of his name with the date of 
his death." The present owners of a portion of the 
estate are Mr. Thomas Jones Spencer, son of Gideon, 
who was the originator of the famous Spencer's pills. 
Mr. Spencer has greatl}'' improved his estate, having 
now one of the best farms in the town. Mr. Thomas 
Levalley also possesses a part of the estate. 

Thomas Remiugton, Sr., devised to Thomas, Jr., 
William and John, all his lands, they to pay legacies to 
the other children. As some of the sons married they 
removed from Warwick and scattered the name of 
Remington over a large territory. Thomas married 
Maplet, daughter of (Japt. Benjamin Gorton, December 
28, 1710; their children were Maplet, born July 11, 
1712; Mary, May 17, 1715; Stephen, June 26, 1720 ; 



THE REMINGTON" FAMILY. 157 



Thomas, August 19, 1723. The father died, September 
25, 1723, aged 41. In the inventory, of 140 acres, the 
farm was valued at £600, and an Indian apprentice at 
.£24. This l"arm was No. 2, on the plat of the Coweset 
farms, and was originally assigned to John Smith, but 
inherited by his heirs, the two children of Lieut. Eliza 
Collins, and from them to Samuel Barnes of Swanzey, 
and was afterwards sold by the latter, in 1712, to 
Thomas Remington, for £243. Thomas Remington 
sold 100 acres on the north end to his brother Daniel 
for £100, in October, 1715. Benjamin F. Remington 
now owns and lives on the farm where his ancestors 
ploughed the first furrow in the virgin soil. Thomas, 
the fourth child of Thomas and Maplet, was married to 
Abigail Eldred, December 14, 1744. Their children are 
as follows : Thomas, one of triplets, two of whom died 
in a few days, was born October 24, 1747. He was a 
judge several years, and resided in Coventry ; Maplet, 
born June 16, 1749, married William Rice of Crom[)ton ; 
Sarah married Charles Holden of Providence ; Benjamin, 
born September 2, 1752 ; the next day, by the new 
calendar, the 3d of September was reckoned the 14th, 
consequently young Benjamin, though but two days old, 
was made to appear, by the hocus pocus of figures, 
fourteen days old. Benjamin was one of the owners of 
the Crompton mill. Mary, another daughter, was born, 
in 1754 ; John, November 2, 1756. He was a captain 
in the Revolutionary Army, and died in North Adams, 
Massachusetts. Jonathan was born September 9, 1758 ; 
he settled in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, and was 
a man of some political importance, and frequently 
represented the town of Cheshire in the Legislature, 
previous to 1793 ; James W. was born May 28, 1760 ; 
Henry, July 28, 1764 ; he was judge of the Supreme 
Court from 1801 to 1808, and a fluent, energetic debater. 
Four of these brothers were in the American army 
during the war ot the Revolution. The father died 
April 12, 1808, in his 85th year. Mrs. R. died April 14, 
1766, in her 4;:>d year. 



108 HISTORY OF WAKWICK. 

At the establishment of the Crompton mills, Benja- 
min, already alluded to as one of the new company, 
lived upon the family estate, about a mile distant, on the 
Coweset road. He yi^as a member of the town council 
and of the legislature ; he married Phebe, daughter of 
Capt. Matthew Manchester. His second wife was Lydia 
and the third Nancy ; they were all sisters, and died be- 
tween their 31st and -33d years. He married the fourth 
time into another family, and died himself in the sum- 
mer of 1837. He left 140 acres of land to his sons, Jon- 
athan and Thomas, the latter the father of Benjamin F. 

The present dwelling house of Mr. James E. Whitford 
stands on the si^e of the former residence of Judge 
Othniel Gorton, who was chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court of Rhode Island from 1788 to 1790. Just after 
the close of the Revolutionary war, Judge Gorton acted 
as chairman of a committee appointed by the General As- 
sembly, to enquire into the conduct of certain persons 
suspected of disloyalty. During the process of the ex- 
amination, some person alBxed to the door of his house 
an insulting; and ■ threatening paper, designed to intimi- 
date him from prosecuting his enquiries. The General 
Assembly offered a reward oi five hundred dollars for in- 
formation leading to the discovery of the offender. 

THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE. 

About half a mile east of the village, on the laud of 
Mr. Waterman Clapp, may still be seen the debris of the 
old school house, built in the year 1798. The house 
originally stood on the opposite side of the road, on land 
owned by Judge Stephen Arnold. The land was given 
by the Judge for school purposes, to revert to the original 
owner when no longer used for these purposes. 

The house was built by subscription, and was a small 
one story building, but was regarded as a very creditable 
affair at the time. It was estimated to cost 8150, but, 
like most of such estimates, it exceeded this amount 



SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL TEACHERS. 1^9- 

by 850. There were twenty shares, of which Mr.Clapp's 
father held four ; sixteen other persons held one share 
each. The teachers were supported by a tuition tax 
upon the pupils, and though a private school, it was de- 
signed to iurnish educational facilities for all the families 
then residing within the limits of the present village of 
Crompton. as well as those in the faraiing regions round 
about The tirst teacher was James Pollard, an English- 
man, who is still remembered by Mr. Clapp, from whom 
most of the items connected with the building have been 
obtained. Mr. Clapp was one of his pupils. Mr. Pol- 
lard's daughter. Mrs. C'ady. mother of Mr. Ezra J. Cady. of 
Centreville, is still living, though at the present time old 
and blind. Mr. Clapp showed the writer a family record 
written, or rather printed with the pen, by Mr. Pollard, 
and if he was as well qualified to teach the other branches* 
of knowledge as he evidently was that of penmanship, 
the interests of his pupils must have been very well pro- 
vided for. Quite a number of persons are now living in 
this region, who attended school there, among them Mrs. 
Oliver Arnold, who then lived a couple of miles south, 
and Mr. Albert H. Arnold, who then lived at his home, 
on the Apponaug road, and who had the misfi>rtune to 
pitch off the bank near the school house and break his 
arm. 

Mr. Pollard was followed as teacher by Mr. Bennett 
Holden,Miss Lucy Glover, Miss Pond and Oliver Johnson, 
Esq., now of Providence, and others. In 1826, Mr. Clapp 
bought up the shares, at a dollar and a quarter a share, 
and removed the building upon his land directly across 
the road, where it was still used for several years, until 
about the year 1830. When it was no longer needed 
for a school house it was altered into a tenement, and 
an additional story was added to its height. Mrs. Lucy 
Sweet, a respectable colored woman, was a tenant at one 
time. Like most of its teachers and pupils who im- 
parted or received instruction within its walls, it could 
not resist the increasing infirmities of time, and 
fiuallv went to decav and blew down seven or eisrht. 



170 HISTORY OE WARWICK. 

years ago, leaving only the foundation walls and the 
shattered remains of the building to mark the spot where 
stood the first school-house for miles around, and where 
the aged fathers and mothers in this vicinity received 
their early instruction. 

During the time in which the old school-house was in 
use, the village of Crompton had come into existence. 
The present site of the village with many contiguous 
acres fell at a very early period into the possession of 
the Mattesons. Henry Matteson devised by will, Dec. 
12, 1756, this tract to his two sons, Nicholas and 
Isaac, the former of whom married Abigail, daughter of 
Jonathan Cook. They sold to William Rice, for .£1200, 
June 4, 1779, 127 acres of land and a dwelling house, 
the boundaries of which were: a highway on the south, 
east and wes-t; northerly, by land of James Greene and 
Thomas Matteson. The highway alluded to is the 
ancient one leading from Centreville in a southerly di- 
rection until it meets the Coweset road, then running 
south-westerly along the Pawtuxet to the village of 
Washington. Mr. Rice purchased on both sides of the 
Pawtuxet, meeting James Greene's land at Centreville, 
and both his and Thomas Matteson's at Matteson's pond. 
Some of the bounds, as laid down upon the Matteson 
deed, are not now in existence; for instance, a large 
spiing in the south-west corner which has been over- 
flowed since the erection of the dams. Paper currency 
depreciated so rapidly after the sale that the Mattesons 
were scarcely able to exchange their ,£1200 for a yoke 
of oxen. 

Wm. Rice, April 1, 1784, bought of Ephraim Tingley, 
of Coventry, son of Ephraim, 37 acres with a grist mill 
and house, for the sum of =£240. The Tingley mill was 
very old and was probably contemporaneous with the 
settlement of the Coweset farms ; a part of this farm is 
now owned and occupied by Mr. Gideon B. Whitford. 
The old house in which Wm. Rice lived, that stood on 
the site of the one now occupied by Mr. Whitford, was 
torn down some years ago. The grist mill was situated 



MANUFACTURING. 171 



just across the Warwick line in Coventry, a little south 
of the canal that conveys water to the mills, near the 
upper dam, and opposite the house of George Tiffany. 
The site of the present village in 1800, was a dense 
forest, in which, Mr. Waterman Clapp informed me, he 
often hunted rabbits and partridges in his boyhood. 
Another old resident corroborates the fact that the 
ground was covered with a heavy growth of wood, in- 
termingled with laurel, so dense, that the sun of mid-day 
sought the ground in vain. A spot just in front of 
where the Catholic Church now stands, was noted as a 
haunted spot. It is said that William Clapp, when a 
young man, was passing from his home to the grist mill 
at Centreville, and when near that sjiot, he saw what he 
thought was a man, but as he looked at it, it gradually 
faded out of sight, and nothing would convince him that 
he had not seen an apparition. Dr. Sylvester Knight, it 
was said, observed the same phenomenon. Another spot 
in Centreville, on the opposite corner from the old tavern 
house, enjoyed the unenviable notoiiet}'- of being the 
Haunted Corner. Mr. Clapp said that when his father 
used to send him to the grist mill, he always made it a 
point to get by these places before dark. The old gen- 
tleman related with great merriment these incidents of 
his youthful days. 

Tne first attempts at manufacturing in this village be- 
gan in 1807, on which date, a company of eight men, five 
of whom lived in Providence, and the others in this 
vicinity, purchased 20 acres of land of Wni. Rice, for 
$1050 ; Seth Wheaton, held nine shares ; Thomas Ses- 
sions, six ; John K. Pitman, six; Henry Smith, four; 
Nathaniel Searle, two ; Jonathan Tiffany, two ; Benjamin 
Remington, one ; the last two were citizens of Warwick. 
The company styled themselves "The Providence Manu- 
facturing Company." As the capital stock was dividLi 
into 32 shares, there is one not accounted for. It is said 
to have belonged to Wm. Rice, who, being apprehensive 
of future embarrassment, would not permit his name to 
go upon the town's records as one of the original band. 



172 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



The head of this firm was Col. Seth Wheaton, a native 
of Providence, and a good specimen of her former mer- 
chants. He died October 26, 1827, aged 68. His only 
son, Henry Wheaton, was a noted man, and his name 
will be remembered long after the mills that his father 
raised in Crompton have crumbled into dust. Mr. Ses- 
sions was well known as a man of business, though he 
excited much ojjposition. Nathaniel Searle was a tal- 
ented lawyer. Benjamin Reminoton was a farmer, and 
lived on the Coweset road. Major Jonathan Tiffany 
resided at Centreville, though he subsequently removed 
to Crompton, where his descendants now live. He as- 
sisted in making the machinery for the mills at Anthony 
and Crompton. 

The Stone mill, called formerly by some, in derision, 
"the stone Jug," now designated as No. 1, was built in 
1807,* and the village was known for some years as the 
Stone factory. It is said to be the tirst stone cotton mill 
built in the State. Additional land was purchased of 
Wm. Rice and Thomas Matteson in 1808. In January, 
of this year, Mr. Wheaton sold seven shares of his stock 
to Sullivan Dorr, for <|a,720. Roger Alexander, of Cum- 
berland, purchased tv^'O shares and gave the company 
the benefit of his intimate knowledge of cotton spinning. 
Alexander sold his shiires to the company in 1812, for 
the sum of $2,900, In 1814, Mr. Dorr sold all his in- 
terest in the concern, consisting of ten shares, to Thomas 
Sessions. Wm. Marchant, of Newport, bought one- 
twelfth, for 18,000, in 1814, and Mr. Pitman, the same 
year, sold to Sessions, Smith, Searle and Tiffany, all his 
right in the real and personal estate of the Company, 
being six-thirty-second parts, for $31,8(.0, and took a 
mortgage on the property. The company remodeled the 
shares among themselves, and made Sessions their agent. 
In May 16, 1816, the company failed, and made an as- 
signment to Philip Allen and Samuel Aborn. Pitman 
recovered judgment against the survivmg assignee (Mr. 

* The cap stone over the door bearing the date of 18(ifi, was placed 
there in the year 18(>2 .}. The true date is 1807 as above given. 



TIFFANY S MILL AND FLAT TOP. 173 



Aborn being dead), in an action of tresspass and eject- 
ment, and appointed John Whipple to act as his at- 
torney on the premises, August 30, 1818. Within this 
time Jonathan Tiffany had charge of the mills for about 
two years. After sundry conveyances from one member 
to another, from some of the associates to outsiders, 
from the latter back to the former, conveyances great 
in numbers, comprehensive in quality, perfectly legible to 
lawyers, but entirely hieroglyphical to the uninitiated — 
after all the ink was spilt and paper used up, Mr. Pitman 
took possession in January, 1819. The inventory spreads 
over eleven folio pages of the records of Warwick. 

One or two other mills, in the southern part of the vil- 
lage, claim a passing notice. Shortly after the failure of 
the Providence Manufacturing Company, in 1816, Major 
Jonathan Tiffany and John K. Pitman his brother-in-law. 
built a stone mill about 50 feet by 70, on the east side of 
the turnpike, near the Flat Top. Two dwelling-houses 
stand near the site of the mill at present. The mill was 
two stories high, with a basement, in which a store was 
kept at first, but which was subsequently used for manu- 
facturing purposes. It was used for spinning yarn 
which was put out to be woven by hand-looms. They 
continued to run it until about 1827, when it passed 
into the hands of the Major's sons, Jonathan and John 
K. Tiffany. Gen. James G. Anthony was associated 
with them for several years. The new firm made 
wadding. John K. Tiffany died in October, 1836. The 
mill continued in operation until the year 181:4. The 
supply of water was small, but the fall was over thirty 
feet. The mill was taken down in 1848, and a portion 
of the stone was used in the addition made to No. 1 
mill of the Crompton Company. 

The old " Flat Top," occupying the site of the present 
building, was erected about the same time as the preced- 
ing, by Capt, William Kice and his son-in-law, James E. 
Remington, and was used for the same purpose — the 
spinning of cotton yarn. It has had various occupants, 
but none of them seem to have found it a very desirable 

»15 



174 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



spot. John J. Wood and John Higglns, used it awhile. 
It came into the hands of John Allen, of Centre ville, who 
held a heavy mortgage upon it. Mr. Allen let it for a 
while to his nephew, Alexander Allen, during which 
time it burned down, a fate that attended it twice after- 
wards. Job Card, Thomas Marble, Daniel Maguire, 
Ezra J. Cady, and others have at different times been 
connected with its management. 

The Crompton mills were rented three years from Nov. 
29, 1820, of Mrs. Mary Dorrance and Asa Larned, the ex- 
ecutors of John K. Pitman, deceased, t(> Messrs. Rhodes, 
of Pawtuxet, EUsha P. Smith and Tully Dorrance, of 
Providence. In Feb. 26, 18'.^ 3, before the expiration of 
the lease, the executors sold the mortgage for less than 
principal and interest, to Seth Wheaton and Edward 
Carrington, who, in March, 1823, entered into a co-part- 
nership with Benjamin Cozzens. The new owners 
changed the title of the company and called it the 
Crompton Company, in honor of the celebrated English 
machinist of that name. The village, at a public meet- 
ing of its citizens, subsequently, also assumed that name. 
A lawsuit sprang out of the violation of the lease. The 
trial took place at Apponaug, before two referees, the 
late Judge Bray ton and Judge Dutee Arnold, of Arnold's 
Bridge, now called Pontiac. In 1823, the new company 
smarted a Bleachery, the manager of which was Edward 
Pike, of Sterling, Coim. Cotton mill No. 2 was built in 
1828, and No. 3 in 1832. The wood work of tlie Litter 
mill was done under the direction of Dea. Pardon Spen- 
cer, who had general charge of the wood work al)out 
the mills for several years. Not long afterwards, the 
company branched out into calico printing. Sanford 
Durfee, Esq., late treasurer of the company, was con- 
nected with the works from about the 3^ear 1830 to 1848, 
a part of the time as superintendent or agent of the con- 
cern. An unusnal prosperity attended the company 
during the last six months of 1844 and the first six 
months of 1845, in which it is said the print woiks made 
for their owners a profit of i 100,000. The year 1837 



THE OLD CLAPP SCHOOL-HOUSE. 175 

was one of disaster to this concern, and in 1846, was 
another crash and break down. After many revolutions 
of fortune, of good and had luck, the three cotton mills 
and print works were sold by the mortgau^ees to several 
gentlemen, and a new order of things commenced. The 
number of the proprietors was diminished by another 
change and the whole estate fell into the hands of Gov. 
Charles Jackson, Earl P. Mason, Daniel Bush, and VVm. 
T. Dorrance, of Piovidonce. The print works were 
leased to Abbott & Sanders, in 1852, and afterwards to 
Sanders alone, who continued to run them until wilhin 
a few years. The following were the measurements of 
the several mills: No 1, 117 feet long and 33 feet wide, 
and three stories high ; No. 2, 9G feet long and 35 feet 
wide with an addition, 60 feet long and '21 feet wide, 
and four stories liigh ; No. 3, 103 feet long, -12 feet wide, 
and two stories high.* 

THE PUBLIC SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

An interval of about fifteen years elapsed between 
the giving up ot the old Clapp school-house and 
the ereclion of the first public school house in this 
village in 1845. Of the fifteen or twenty families 
who sent their children to the former, during the 
first ten years, a niHJorit}^ lived to the eastward of 
the old Baptist church on the hill. When the cotton 
mills were erected, the site of the village began suddenly 
to change. The thick wo )ds began to disappear and 
houses sprung up in every direction, and there was a 
demand lor school privileges nearer at hand. Con- 
sequently, fallowing the law of demand and supply, 
schools being demanded, schools were supplied. Between 
the years 1810 and 1820, a school was kept in several 
places. One in what was known as the old Weave 
Shop — a building that stands not far from the store of 
Dea. Pardon Sp(.Micer, on the opposite side of the road 

* Within a fi^vv yt^ars some, alterations have beeu made, iuoreasing 
the capacity of some o) the baildings. 



176 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



— was taught for a while by Rev. David Curtis, the first 
pastor of the Baptist church. The old Weave Shop 
aud the dwelling house east of it, ou the same side of the 
road, were owned by John Arnold, and had no 
connection with the other manufacturing property. 
Besides being used for a day school, Elder Curtis held 
religious meetings there, and in the same building, 
probably, the first Sabbath school in this region was 
held. On the opposite side of the I'oad, at a later date, 
in the basement of the Henry J. Holden house. Mr. 
Silas Clapp, and Thomas R. Holden, Esq., were teachers 
at different times, both of whom are remembered as 
such by their pupils now residing in the village. Mr. 
Holden died in Providence, September 10, 1865, and 
was a man beloved and respected by all who knew 
him. 

The last place used for a school -room, previous to the 
erection of a school-house, was the " Store Chamber,'' 
which was also used for public religious worship for 
about a dozen years previous to the erection of the 
Baptist church in 184o. Here Miss Pond, who had 
taught in the old Clapp school-house, was one of the 
earliest teachers ; Mr. Pierce, Peter Healy, Arnold 
Weaver, Deacon Stillman, Dr. McGreggor, who after- 
wards settled in Providence, and was accidentally killed 
there a few years ago. Rev. Thomas Dowling, at the 
time also pastor of the Baptist church, Alice and Ehza 
Briggs, Susan Lincoln, the present wife of Deacon Oren 
Spencer, of Washington, also taught here. 

On April 28, 1845, a meeting was held " to consider 
the propriety of building a school-house for the use of 
the district." Deacon Pardon Spencer was chosen 
moderator, and VVm. M. Brown, secretarj-. After con- 
sultation and several adjournments, the district voted to 
purchase the lot on which the house now stands. The 
size of the lot is 104 feet by 212, and cost |275.. 
Deacon Spencer was instructed by the meeting to 
present a draft of a suitable house, and on September 
4th, offered a modified plan of the Central Falls school- 



CBOMPTON SCHOOL- HOUSE. 



177 



house," 33 feet by 37, two stories, hip roof, belfry 
in the centre, height of lower room, 11 feet, upper 
room 10 feet, &c., which was accepted. The house 
was probably completed in the summer, as on the ITtli 
of November, the district " voted to paint the school- 
house a color similar to Mrs. Remington's house outside, 
and inside dark pea-green. " The cost of the house was 
12,717 54. Among the teachers who taught at different 
times were the following : Wm. Baker, Samuel Sanford, 
Solomon P. Wells, T. V. Haines, Rev. Henry A. Cooke, 
Misses vAnna B. Holden, Emily Bennett, Myrtilla M. 
Peirce, Rev. L. W. Wheeler, Lysauder Flagg, W. A. 
Anthony, James B. Spencer, Mit5S .Sarah J. Spencer, 
Miss Carrie M. Hubbard, Mrs. Rowena Tobey, Dwight 
R. Adams, and others. During the summer term of 
1867, the house was entirely destroyed by fire, which 
was supposed to have been the work of an incendiary. 
All the books used" by the teachers and pupils were 
burned, and the school was driven for temporary accom- 
modations to the old " Block Shop." The building was 
insured for $1,800. The district, with commendable 
energy, soon appointed a committee to present plans and 
specifications for a new building, which resulted in the 
present edifice. The building is of brick, 34 feet by 36, 
arranged for three departments, warmed by a Jillson's 
portable furnace, and cost about $t),000. It was dedi- 
cated with a[)propriate services February 1, 1868, the 
Superintendent of Schools giving the address. The 
present teachers are Mr. John M. Nye, and Miss Ella J. 
Hathaway. 

Among the men that were .prominent in the village 
forty years ago, were Frederick Hamilton, father of the 
late Henr}^ Hamilton. At one time he kept the boarding 
house, the house next west of Mr. Booth's Hotel. He 
delighted in religious discussions and was accustomed to 
sit in religious meetings with a handkerchief over his 
head as a compensation lor the want of the comfortable 
warmth of our modern sanctuaries. If the sentiments 
of the preacher were not in accordance with his views 



178 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

of orthodoxy, he would turn a shoulder toward him, 
and in case the doctrine appeared to him decidedly 
heterodox, he would manage to get his face in nearly 
the opposite direction from the preacher ; or, perhaps, 
march down the long stairs of the old Weave Shop, 
where the services were held, and go home. He brought 
up a large family, all of whom are now dead His son 
Henry, who died a few months ago, was the last of his 
children, and a man of warm symi)athies, active in 
the community, and a member of the Baptist church for 
more than forty years. 

John J. Wood was another prominent man — an agent 
or superintendent of the mills, for some years, and an 
active promoter of everything good in the village. He 
was a member of the Baptist church, and for some years 
its treasurer, of a somewhat cautious disposition but 
always ready to do more than he would promise. 
During the latter years of his life he kept a store in a 
small building that stood just opposite Mr. Booth's hotel. 
He died November 25, 1860, at the age of 64. One of 
his daughters married the late Dr. William A. H ubbard, 
who, for many years, was a practicing physician of the 
village. Dr. Hubbard was born in Killingly, Conn., 
educated at Pittsfield, Mass., and was a popular physician, 
having a large practice. He had several stud^-nts of 
medicine at different times, among whom were his 
brother, the late Dr. Henry Hai)bard, Dr. McGreggor, 
Dr. Card, of South Kingston, and Dr. Pike, who settled 
in Connecticut. Dr. Hubbard died March 1, 1857, and 
lies in Point Pleasant cemetery at Centreville. Anoiher 
daughter married Hon, Charles T. Northup, Chief State 
Constable of R^iode Island. 

Captain John Holden, or as he was more familiarly 
called. Squire Holden, was a well-known citizen of the 
village and a man of some excellent traits of character. 
He was a Justice of the Peace, an office, at that time, of 
considerable consequence. In early lite he had tollowed 
the sea. He was the first book-keeper of the Providence 
Manufacturing Company, and subsequently opened a 



CENTEEVILLE. 179 



variety store, the only one in the village for some years, 
with the exception of the Company's store. Beside the 
usual variety of dry and West India goods, he kept — as 
was the custom with such stores of that time — a constant 
supply of liquor, but for some years previous to his 
death he voluntarily gave up the sale of the latter com- 
modity. Liquor-selling and liquor drinking were not 
then regarded in the moral light in which the}' now are. 
Ca[)t. Holden was a constant attendant upon the 
religious meetings in the village, and participated in the 
singing, which he especially enjoyed. Previous to his 
death, his son, Thomas Rice Holden, was made a Justice 
of the Peace, in the place of his father.* 

Many changes ami improvements have taken place in 
the village since the present efficient superintendent, 
Harvey S. Bartlett, Esq., has had charge of the mills, a 
period of about ten years. The old print works 
buildings have been demolished, the old block shop 
succuml)ed to the September gale a few years ago. Four 
of the large two-story tenement buildings, among the 
first erected in the village, were sold to Dea. Pardon 
Spencer and his brother a few years ago, and removed to 
other locations, and new and commodious ones erected 
in their places; additions and improvements have been 
made to the mills ; the tenement houses that stood upon 
the " island " were removed to the hill opposite ; houses 
that stood in unsightly positions have been placed in 
line, and the streets improved, and sidew?lks made, and 
the village made to assume a cleanly and comfortable 
appearance. 

CENTEEVILLE. 

The name of this village is said to have originated 
with Sabin Lewis, a school-teacher here in the first 
decade of the present century. We hazard the conjec- 
ture that Mr. Lewis as a scliool-teacher possessed some 
knowledge of geography, and did not intend to suggest 

* For many of the items of |>ersou'* and events connected with this 
village, 1 am iudebted to my friend, Dea. Pardon Spencer. 



130 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

that the village was situated in the geographical centre 
of the town, but rather that it was, centrally located as 
related to the surrounding villages. The exact time 
when the first settlement was made is unknown, but it 
was probably previous to the year 1700. In 1677, the 
proprietors of the town granted to Henry Wood, John 
Smith, John Greene, and John Warner, a tract of land, of 
one hundred acres in extent, with two other small pieces, 
one. containing one acre and the other two acres, with 
certain privileges, "on ye fresh river in ye township of 
Coweset, beinge ye south branch yt runs towards 
Pawtuxet." The consideration was, that these persons 
should erect a saw-mill on the river. There are certain 
items that point to this place as the spot designated, 
while other items mentioned in the record leave the 
matter somewhat doubtful. In 1692, the Wecochacon- 
net grant of 2100 acres in this vicinity was made, and 
which has been referred to on page 87. 

A saw-mill is known to have stood here early in the 
eighteenth century, owned at the time by Job Greene, 
who was then possessor of a considerable portion of the 
territory within the present limits of the village, as well 
as of many contiguous acres. Major Job Greene, in 
1726, saw fit to transfer a portion of his extensive do- 
main, consisting of 412 acres, to his son, Daniel. This 
land was on the east side of the river, and bounded 
"north by the third Wecochaconnet farm ; east, by the 
laud of Potter and Whitman ; south, by the highway be- 
tween the Wecochaconnet and Coweset farms, and west, 
by the undivided lands.*' This estate Daniel subse- 
quently gave to his nephew, Christopher, who afterwards 
sold it to a man b}'^ the name of William Almy, of Prov- 
idence. Ahny's heirs, twenty years ago, sold a part c>f it to 
Rev. J. Bray ton, who afterwards disposed of it to various 
persons, reserving a portion of it which still remains in 
his possession and upon which he at present resides. 
The farms of Rufus Barton, Jeremiah Foster, the water- 
powerand mill siteof Benedict Lapham, the water-power, 
mill-site and village of Arctic were included originally 
in this estate. 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS. 181 



Major Job Greene at the same time (1726) gave his 
son Philip a tract of land, lying on the north-west of 
the south branch of the Pawtuxet, containing 278 acres, 
together with his house and saw-mill. In his will, dated 
17-J4, he bequeathed to him his " mimsion house at Occu- 
pasnetuxet," where the Deputy-Governor, John Greene, 
lies buried, " also his land in the forks of the Pawtuxet, 
all his lands on the north side of the river, in Warwick 
and Coventry ; also his cattle, swamp lands, agiicultural 
tools, silver tankard, two silver cups, negro man, Primus, 
and negro woman and her children." To his other chil- 
dren '' he distributed his Natick lands, farms in Tunkhill, 
Scituate, and bills of credit and money." Major Job 
Greene died at his home in Old Warwick, 

Philip Greene, son of Job, resided chit-fly at Old War- 
wick, and was a judge in the court of common pleas, of 
Kent county, from 1759 to 1784. In 1751, he gave his 
son, Christopher, a tract of land, bounded north, on 
Peter Levally's land ; eaj^t, by the Pawtuxet ; south on 
the main road, and west, on land of the Maitesons." 
The Judge's land extended from the junction of the two 
branches of the Pawtuxet river to some distance into 
the town of Coventry. He died April 10, 1791, at the 
age of 86. 

The village of Centreville at the breaking out of the 
revolutionary war consisted of three houses. One of 
these was situated on the site of the present residence of 
Rev. J. Bray ton. and was the dwelling place of Daniel 
Greene, son of Job It was a long, low, one story build- 
ing, having submitted to various additions, as the wants 
of the occupants increased, at one time divided into two 
sections an I a piece put into the middle, and stood until 
about ten years ago, when it was entirely consumed by 
fire. Daniel Greene was born Feb. 20, 1698-9, and died 
Nov. 24,1798. His nephew. Col. Christopher Greene, 
who afterwards became noted in the revolutionary war, 
lived in the house that formerly stood north of the 
bridge and east of the house now owned and occupied 
by Mr. John Greene. The third ancient house stood 

16 



182 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



on the south-east corner of the lot on which the resi- 
dence of Dr. Moses Fifield is situated. The precise spot 
was pointed out to me recently by the venerable Josiah 
Merrill, who distinctly remembers it. It was situated 
upon the path leading from the gate- way near the Doctor's 
barn, and about a couple ot rods from the fence. The 
old well belonging to the house is situated just back of 
the Methodist meeting-house. This well, which had 
been covered over for many years, was re-opened a few 
years ago and used until last summer, when an examin- 
ation of it being made with reference to cleaning it out, 
it was found to be caved in at the bottom. The house 
had undergone many additions and changes in the course 
of time. It was built upon the large farm of William 
Greene, son of Peter, the great-grandson of John Greene, 
senior. It afterwards came into the possession of James 
Greene, son of James and grandson of William, whose 
son, Joseph W^arren Greene, gave to the Methodist 
church the lot upon which the meeting-house stands. 
Among other valuable gifts received by James Greene 
flora his father, William, was a large tract of land, a 
portion of which was No. 5. of the Coweset farms and 
which was assigned to Gov. John Greene, in 1685. 
This farm embraced both sides of the river and extended 
from the site of Crompton mills on the south to Matte- 
son's poud on the west, and Judge Philip Greene's land 
on the north. James also inherited hii father's property 
in Old Warwick and resided there at the breaking out 
of the revolution. Duiing that struggle the Greene 
mansion was seized by the British, and Greene was 
forced to leave, and come to his house in Centreville, 
though at the time it was not known by that name. 
Subsequently James Greene built the house across the 
river now occupied by Mr. Charles Duke, and the old 
house was deserted. It was last occupied by a respect- 
able colored woman, a devoted member of the Methodist 
church, and who went by the name of black Lucy. Her 
full name was Lucy Gardiner. Her father and mother 
were the slaves of Francis Brayton, of Washington vil- 



THE OLD GREENE CEMETERY. 183 

lage, then called Brayton town, and were usually called 
•'Cuff" and "Molly" Brayton. Molly at one time 
called at the house of Mr. Clapp, fiather of Mr. Water- 
man Clapp, and in the course of her conversation asked 
Mr. Clapp how many hasty puddinc^s he supposed she 
had made for her master, Mr. Bra3'ton, the past year. 
Mr. Clapp guessed twenty. "No." Fifty? "No.' "Well 
a hundred," said Mr. Clapp. " No " said Molly. "Well" 
said Mr. C. " T cant guess, how man}'^ have you ?" " Three 
hundred and sixty-five ! " said Molly. I^ucy had two 
daughters, Olive and Phebe, who now reside in Provi- 
dence. She had one imbecile daughter, but whether it 
is one of the two above-mentioned I am not able to say. 
Lucy was an industrious woman, and was accustomed 
to take her daughter with her while she went out to 
wash and iron for the neighbors. While the mother 
was at work, the daughter would lie quietly curled up 
upon the floor under the table, until the mother had fin- 
ished her work, when she would follow her home. 

The old Greene Cemetery, on the east bank of the 
Pawcatuck river, and opposite the Methodist church in 
this village, is now in process of renovation, and when 
the improvements are completed will bear but little 
resemblance to its former ancient appearance. The 
ground has been used for these purposes for at least 
three-fourths of a century, and is one of the oldest in 
this vicinity. 

For some years previous to the year 1837, or 
thereabouts, the ground was surrounded by a slat fence. 
This was removed and a stone wall, faced and plastered, 
was erected — the cemetery being enlarged b}^ the 
addition of several rods of land on the east and south 
portions of the ground. Willow trees were set in the 
corners, two of which were blown down in the last 
great September gale, and several honey locusts and 
catalpas found their way into the enclosure. The walls 
have been removed, with the exception of that on the 
east side, which will doubtless follow, and the two 
remaining willows, and the locusts and catalpas, are to 



184 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



give way to others of a more ornamental character. It 
is proposed to place a Norway spruce in each corner, 
with some rock maples along the lines. The removal of 
the middle or east wall will uniie the grourd with that 
laid out by the late John Allen for similar purposes, 
■which is now surrounded on three sides by a slat fence. 
It is expected, though arrangements are not fully 
consummated, that this fence will be removed also, and 
a substantial one of heavy granite posts, ^^ith iron rods, 
will extend around the united grounds. 

Probably the first interments in the enclosure were 
those of James Greene and his wiie, in the western 
portion of the ground. A large black oak tree now 
stands between their graves, having, doul)tless, been 
self-planted since the graves were made. The roots of 
the tree have probably found their way to these as well 
as to other graves in the vicinity, and it would seem as 
though the old tree should be allowed to stand for their 
sakes. It is a healthy tree, and even ornamental, which 
also pleads in its favor. James Greene died M.iy 30, 
1792, in his 79th 3'ear, but no s-tones mark his resting- 
place, or that of his wite. lie was the son of William,* 
whose great grandfather was John Greene, one of the 
original purchasers of Warwick from Miantonomi, a 
Narragansett Sachem. He married Desire Slocum, a 
daughter of Giles Slocum. of East Greenwich, June 15, 
17b8, by whom he had nine children, viz.: William, who 
died in infancy, Mary, Sarah, Giles, Elizabeth ; Desire, 
who married Spencer Menill, (Mr. Merrill, his wife and 
sister, lie in unmarked graves); Alm3^ who married 
Jabez Comstock, of Chatham, Conn., — whose daughter, 
Lucina, married Dr. Sylvester Knight, a practicing 
physician for many years in this village. Dr. Knight 
was born in Cranston, in 1787. He came to Centreville 
about the year 180G, and was married in 1808. He lived 
here about thirty years, practicing medicine, and a 



* William Greene and Sarah (Medhnry) Greene lived on ihe east 
side, of rlie road to Coiiiiiiicut Point, the corner lot 0|>po.siie the old 
Stafford house. 



THE OLD GREENE CEMETERY, 185 

portion of the time was a partner with the late Dr. 
Stephen Harris, in cotton manufacturing at River Point. 
He finally gave up his proiession and removed to 
Providence, and lived in the house next north of the 
Custom House He had an extensive practice, and was 
generally regarded as a judicious and skillful physician. 
He died in Providence, March 15, 1841, aged 54. His 
first wife, Lucina (Comstock) Greene, died December 
22, 1819, aged 32. There were four children by this 
marriage, two of whom, Ex-Mayor Jabez Comstock 
Knight, of Providence, and Nehemiah Knight, of 
Brooklyn, N. Y., are now living. His second wife, 
Louisa v., died January 8, 1873, aged 71, by whom he 
had six children, of whom two, Sylvester R. and W'm. 
A. Knight, of Providence, are living. The doctor 
and the deceased members ol his family lie in the 
enclosure. 

The eighth child of James Greene was James, after- 
wards known as Captain James Greene, he having held 
that military title in a company that was engaged in 
September, 1778, in the expedition on Rhode Island 
against the English forces then and there encamped. 
The ninth was Kachel, who married Thomas VVhitaker, 
of Haverhill, N. H. Gen. Josiah Whitaker and Thomas 
Whitaker, both formerly of Providence, were their 
children. 

On the death of James Greene, his only surviving 
son, Capt. James, inherited the family residence in 
Centreville that stood near the Methodist church, and 
which was one of the three earliest houses built in the 
village. Ample provision was made for the surviving 
widow and the three lame and decrepid daughters, and 
also for the three negro servants. One of these slaves 
was a woman named Clara, and was given to Mrs. 
Greene by her father, Giles Slocum at the time of her 
marriage. In her old age Clara became peevish and 
partially insane, and was boarded out in the family of 
an old and witty negro named Boston, until she died. 
She was buried just outside of the family cemetery, but 
when the wall that has just been demolished was built» 



1"^ HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

the ground was so much enlarored that the wall passed 
directly over this grave, lengthwise. The removal of 
the wall revealed the spot where she was buried. It is 
on the south line about thiity ieet from the southwest 
corner. 

Capt. James Greene, who probably owned the land at 
the time it was selected as a burial place, was married to 
Rebecca, a daughter of Sanders Pitman, Nov. 17, 1782, 
by Rev. Joseph Snow, then pastor of the Congregational 
church, Providence. She died July 7, 1806, aged 44. 
His second wife was Marcy, daughter of Capt. Wm. 
Waterman, of Warwick. She died February 28, 1851, 
in the list year of her age. The captain died October 
14, 1825, also in the 71st year of 'his age. He was a tall 
muscular man, and in the latter years walked in a 
stooping posture. Owing to the rapid decomposition of 
his body after his death, he was buried at night and the 
funeral services were held the following day. He lies in 
the western portion of the grounds with a wife on each 
side. Their children were ten in number, of whom two 
died in infancy. William, the oldest, was born October 
17, 1783, and died in Philadelphia in 1838. James, the 
youngest son, died in Providence, July 27, 1840. He 
married Marcy A. Westcott, who died P'ebruary 27, 
1870. Both lie in the southwest corner of the ground. 
The only surviving son of Capt. Greene is Joseph War- 
ren Greene, who resides in Brooklyn, N. Y., but who 
still remains in possession of the paternal homestead, 
across the river. Capt. Greene had also several 
daughters Avho arrived at womanhood, viz.: Mary K., 
who was born October 31, 1785, and married VVm. 
Anthony, who was born in North Providence, October 
25, 1775, and died in Coventry, May 17, 1845. (Mrs. 
Anthony died March 25, 1851, leaving three chikhen, 
viz.: the late Gen. James G. Anthony, of Anthony 
village. Senator Henry B. Anthon}-, of Providence, and 
Eliza H., wife of Francis E. Hoppin, ot Providence. 
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony and four child] en are buried 
here.) Almy, who married Resolved Slack, and who 



THE OLD GEEENE CEMETERY. 187 

died in Brooklyn, New York ; Eliza, who married the 
late Dr. Stephen Harris, a resident in this village for 
some years, and subsequently a successful cotton 
manufacturer at River Point. The doctor died October 
10, 1858, aged 72 years. His wife died March 23, 1820. 
Cyrus, Stephen, and Caleb F. Harris are the surviving 
children, several having died. A few years ago, the 
remains of Dr. Harris and his wife, with the deceased 
children, were removed to Swan Point cemetery. 
Abigail Susan, the fourth daughter of Capt. Greene, 
marr.ed the late John Greene, of this village. She died 
May 6, 1814, in the nineteenth year of her age, leaving 
one child, wi;o married the late Daniel Howland, of East 
Greenwich. Sarah Ann married Stephen Arnold, of 
Provi<lence. They buried lour young children in'these 
grounds, the earliest in 1825. 

The family of Stephen Greene, a remote branch of 
the other Greenes, also found here a resting [)lace. One 
daughter, Freelove, fell into the wheel pit of the mill 
and was di owned, March 25, 1839, aged 47. The 
accident was preceded by two others in the village, and 
separated by only a few days. The widow of Major 
Bunn, a Hessian soldier, who remained and settled here 
after the Revolutionary war, fell into the fire and was 
burned to death, and Christopher Bowman, an operative 
in the woolen mill, got caught by the shafting and was 
instantly killed. A portion of the Stephen Greene 
family are settled about Black Rock, in Coventry. 

A few scores of persons have here been gathered to 
their rest to await the sound of that voice which shall 
eventually call them forth to renewed life. Many of 
them were active in their time, as are their descendants 
in whom the}^ now live. 

'' Their names, their years, spelt by the unlettered muse. 
The place of fame and elegy supply : 
And nifiny a holy text around she (-trews 
That teach tlie rustic moralist to die." 

In 1785 the number of houses had increased to eight. 
The others were John Henry Bunn's house, a small red 



188 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

building one story, that stood between the Centreville 
bank and the bridge. It was built by Samuel Pitman 
for the goldsmith business. Jonathan Tiffmy, father of 
Mr. Henry Tiffany, of Crompton, married Mr. Pitman's 
half-sister. Bunn was a shoemaker and died many years 
ago. His widow, an old feeble woman, while her 
daughter was absent, fell into the fire and was half 
consumed before her daughter returned. This event 
occurred in 1839. There was a house called the " Board- 
ing house" and another occupied by Spencer Merrill. Col. 
Ghristo[)her Greene's residence became the home of his 
son, Job, and was finally rented to Thomas Whaley. It 
occupied the same site upon which William Levally 
subsequently built. Westward, across the road, Job 
Greeife built a house in 1785, in which he dwelt many 
years. Job Greene was the father of the lion. Simon 
Henry Greene. 

Col. (xreene had a negro servant during the Revolu- 
tionary war, named Boston Carpenter, who was one of 
the wonders of those times. By diligence and economy 
he accumulated some property in Coventry, at the foot 
of a ridge called, after him, " Boston Hill." He 
purchased his wife of Job Greene, " for 4s. 6d., as a 
matter of form, to prevent her becoming chargeable to 
the estate of Job Greene, in case she should be reduced 
to [)Overty." * Joseph W. Greene, Esq., of Brooklyn, 



* Negro slavery existed in aU the towns of Rhode Island at the time 
of tlie Hevolutiotiary war. and tuore or lesn of il)ein were r.o be found 
intheinuii il within the last tifry years. All chihlren of slaves born in 
Uhode Island after March 1, 17H4, were, by law, <leclared free. During 
the Uevolutioiiary war all who chuse to enlist in the army were 
granibd their freedom. In the year 1780 there were forty one slaves 
i:i this town. From the census reports, we have the following as the 
nnml>er of slaves in the State : in 1790, 95-* ; in 1800, 3S1 ; in IMlO, 108; 
in 18'J0, 48; in 1830. 17. The last one died as late as January 3, 1859, 
when James Howlaiid ended this lile at the resideine of John 
Howland of .lamestown, ai. clie advanced agt- of one hundred years. 
"He liad always been a faithful servant in the Howland taniily Up 
to the hour of his death he retained all his faculties unimpaired, and 
on the niglit of January Jd, attended to liis usual duties about the 
h'tise. On the morning of the ."{d, he arose Jind dressed hi;iiself, and 
-was about to descend the atairsfroui his (chamber when he fainteil and 
expired in a few mouienis. He was the last of the Khode Island 
slaves." 



FIRST ATTEMPTS AT MAKUFACTURING. 189 

gives the following account of him. "This Boston 
Carpenter was quite a notable person. He lived about 
half a mile north of Anthony village. He had been-a 
slave and bought his freedom. Then he bought a slave 
named Lillis, who was familiarly known by the name of 
Lill. They lived together as man and wife, though it 
was said they were never married. He used to say to 
her that if she did not behave well, he would put her in 
his pocket (or, in other words, he would sell her). He 
was a shrewd, intelligent fellow, wiih a good deal of 
ready wit. He had been badly afflicted with the 
rheumatism and was almost bent double. A man once 
met him on the road and asked him if he came s^traight 
from home? Boston replied, ' Yes, Sir.' ' Then,' the 
man reiterated, ' you have got most horridly warped on 
the way.' Boston walked off without being able to 
make any reply. He spent much of his time in tending 
the grist mill of Col. Job Greene at Centre ville. Boston 
was a famous breaker of horses, an active mechanic and 
a quick, sharp man. Mr. Waterman Clapp, a venerable 
octogenarian, told me recently, that he distinctly re- 
membered Boston, and mentioned several anecdotes of 
him that want of space alone compels me to refrain from 
mentioning. 

The first attempt at manufacturing cotton by machin- 
ery in this village, seems to have been made about the 
year 1794 when land and water-power were transferred 
to a company formed for that purpose bj Col. Job Greene, 
by a deed bearing date Oct. 3, of that year. Greene 
gave the land and water power, " stipulating that the 
building should be 40 feet long by 26 feet wide and two 
stories high, with sufficient machiner}^ for running a hun- 
dred spindles." The following persons formed the com- 
pany : William Potter of Providence, one-third ; John 
Allen, one-sixth ; James McKerris, one-sixth ; James 
Greene, one-ninth ; Job Greene, one-eighteenth ; the re- 
maining one-sixth to be owned by the several proprietors, 
according to thil ratio. The water was to be conveyed 
to the wheel by a wooden conductor, the interior of 



190 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

which was to be two feet square, and which was to be 
placed at the bottom of the mill dam ; Greene agreeing 
not to draw the water down for his grist mill so low that 
it would be less than six inches higher than the upper 
plank of the conductor. He also agreed to keep the 
dam in good condition for six years ; after this the com- 
pany was to bear one-third the expenses of repairs." 
The machinery ^vas built under the direction of Moses 
Irwin, wlio was afterwards engaged to oversee its opera- 
tion. The operation did not succeed very well, though, 
the yarn manufactured was salable. There soon ap- 
peared a desire, on the part of some members of the 
company, to allow others to continue the experiment, and 
in May, 1797, McKerris sold one-tenth to John Reynolds, 
for $600 ; in June, he sold one-twelfth to Gideon Bailey, 
of East Greenwich, for $170. John Reynolds, in 
November, 1798, sold his share to the compan3^for$600. 
In 1799, the company sold one-half of the whole con- 
cern to William Almy and Obadiah Brown, for $2500. 
The items of the transfer are as follows : one undivided 
half part of a lot of land and mill ; four spinning machines 
each 60 spindles ; 2 carding machines, with drawing and 
roving frames ; half of dj'^e-house ; half of single house 
on Job Greene's Jand; half of water power, &c., &c. 

The new company met with better success. The de- 
mand for their yarn was greater than they could supply. 
Knitting cotton and yarn for warps, were the kinds 
manufactured. So great was the demand that the com- 
pany proposed to extend their works, and introduce 
more machinery. Four years previous to the starting of 
this mill, Samuel Slater had commenced a similar exper 
iment at Pawtucket, with only 72 spindles. Almy and 
Brown were now part owners in both establishments. 
John Allen went out to Pawtucket to observe how 
things went and get some needful hints, that might be 
useful here. It ^is said that when he attempted to 
measure some of -tlTg^ machines, Slater ordered him to 
desist and threatened to throw him out of the window. 
But Mr. Allen, perhaps hardly believing that such an 



SECOND MILL EBBCTED. 191 



event would occur, and thinking he had some authority 
for proceeding, on account of the relation s of Almj^ and 
Brown to the concern, quietly proceeded in his work, 
when Slater at last laid violent hands upon him. Oba- 
diah Brown, who was near, laid his band gently upon Mr. 
Allen's shoulder, saying in his cod, quiet way, " I will 
finish thy work and I will see if Samuel will serve me as 
he did thee." Whether Mr. Allen scratched his elbow 
as was his custom when perplexed, when he was so sud- 
denly arrested, does not ap[)ear, but he saw Mr. Brown 
accomplish his work without interference, and returned 
home with his mission accomj^lished. 

On July 10, 1801, Almy & Brown purchased of Job 
Greene all his rights in the spinning mill. In 180^, 
they made the further purchase, of the same person, of 
16 acres of land, grist and saw mills, water-power, dwell- 
ing house which he built in 1785, all for $5,000. 

In 1807, a second mill was erected on the east side of 
the river, by a new company, that styled itself the War- 
wick Manufacturing Company." The company was 
composed of Almy & Brown, James Gieene, John Allen 
and Gideon Greene. James Greene held one-eighth of 
the stock ; John Allen, one-eighth : John Greene, one- 
twelfth ; Gideon Greene, one sixteenth and Almy & 
Brown the remainder. John Allen superintended the 
erection of the mill, as he had done the one across the 
river. He also afterwards acted as the agent of the 
company and was followed by John Greene. The mill 
was painted green, and was known as the green 
mill. The building that recently s^ood opposite Mr. 
Lapham's office, and used as a boarding house, was 
originally used as a store, and in the basement of it hand 
looms were introduced, and the yarn was woven into 
cloth, in the same way as in many of the houses in the 
surrounding country up to the time of the introduction of 
power machinery, when the h. nd loom not being able 
longer to compete with the new motor, gave way. The 
com[)any grass-bleached the cloth that was made by the 
hand loom, and finished it by running it through a cal- 



192 HISTORY OP WARWICK. 



ender that stood on the opposite side of the stream. 
The land on the opposite side of the river from the Bap- 
tist parsonage and lot adjoining, now covered with wood 
and underbrush, was the Bleach-green, and upon its 
grassy surface the cloth was spread and occasionally wet 
until the desired whiteness was secured. 

The old grist mill on the west side of the river, was 
superceded by a cotton mdl, built by Almy & Brown, 
It had been used lor various purposes. In the basement 
was a machine shop with a trip hammer, where the 
noisy operations mingled with the racket of the saw * 
and grist mill, in the second story. In the story above, 
the miller's family lived, and in the attic, was a wool- 
carding machine. When all were in motion the miller's 
family must have had a noisy place. This continued 
until about 1812, when the breaking out of the war 
made a great demand for cotton goods. 

In 1816, Capt. Wm. Potter, one of the original 
proprietors, sold his fourth part of the " Warwick Spin- 
ning Mill," to Almy & Brown. The Vv'ar had ceased 
and business became dull, and Capt. Potter, who had 
been very successful in manufacturing, in several places 
besides Centreville, went down financially in the general 
crisis of 1815 and 1816. Of these men that were so 
conspicuous in the e.irly manufacturing interests of this 
village, Capt. Potter died, Nov. 19, 1838, aged 88; 
James Greene, died in 1825 ; Obadiah Brown, Oct. 15, 
1812, in the 52d year of his age; William Almy, died 
Feb. 5, 1836, aged 75. At his death, Obadiah Brown 
gave $100,000 to the Quaker school in Providence. 
John Allen died, July 2'i, 1845, in the 78th year of his 
age, " He was a native of Smithfield, a wheel-wright 
by trade, and came to Centreville in 1791. His mind 



* In 1828 or '20, Elder .Jonathan Wilson, at that time, pastor of the 
Bai>tist church, eked nnt his small salary by ten<lin}^ the saw-mill, 
and one day wiiile at his work hud the mi-ifortnne to break one of his 
legs He lived in the house opposite Charles D. Kenynn's residence. 
Tills house afterwards belonged to Mr. Nicholas K. (iardiier, now of 
Cronipton, who set out the elm tree in front of the house, that now 
.spreads its limbs so majestically over the street. 



CENTEEVILLE. 193 



was like a border country, where hostile races alternately 
dominate. He was regarded at one time as selfish, 
bigoted and despotic ; at others as liberal, conciliatory 
and yielding. He did good, on prhicipal. He assisted 
only those who at first assisted themselves. Hence 
he spent $2300 in erecting the Baptist meeting house at 
Crompton, but he first required the congregation to pay 
for the basement and fit it up into a vestry. He in- 
vented a clock to number the revolutions of the wheels 
of his carriage which he sometimes hired out to young 
men ; as their mode of thinking was opposite to his own, 
he had not confidence in their veracity, and refused to 
take pay for the number of miles they had gone unless 
their story corresponded with that great regulator which 
was moved by every turn of the wheels. To be gouged 
out of a few dollars, by a set of unregenerate scamps, was 
an intolerable burden, yet he cheerfully advanced $1800 
to the Tin Top Church, when it was in straitened cir- 
cumstances. He was born poor but died rich. He 
awakened a bitter opposition, and was less valued than 
he ought to have been. Like a brook, on a cold, frosty 
morning in spring, the surface of which is covered with 
a thin coating of ice, while unseen the waters are flowing 
onward upon their journey of use and beauty : so the sur- 
face of his character was icy and cold, but underneath that 
repulsive exterior gurgled warm and blessed currents." 
As Mr, Allen is referred to in connection with the 
sketch ot the church, of which both he and his wife were 
consistent members little further need be added to the 
above from Mr. Rousmaniere. The roughness referred 
to, was rather seeming than , real. Among those that 
knew him best he was regarded as a man ot the strictest 
business integrity. Of quiet, unassuming manners, and 
deeply interested in the true prosperity of the village. 
Sincerely honest and candid himself, he was sometimes 
led to rebuke in a plain, blunt way, any appearance of 
pride or show in others. An anecdote, to the point, was 
related to me some years ago, b}^ Mr. Henry Hamilton, 
who knew him intimately for many years. At one time, 

17 



194 HISTOKY OF WABWICK. 

a young man, I think, a distant relative, was invited to 
preach in the church of which he was a member. The 
young man intended to make a good impression upon 
Mr. Allen and evidently felt a little elated by his position 
in the pulpit. On coming out of the pulpit he was 
curious to know what the impression had been, but Mr. 
Allen was reticent. He felt confident he had preached 
well, but was anxious for Mr. Allen to say so. Still no 
word from his relative. At last his curiosit}' got the bet- 
ter of him, and he ventured to ask him what he thought 
of the sermon. Mr. Allen, with a twinkling in his eye 
and the usual scratching of his elbow replied "JbAw, I 
was actually/ ashamed of you. ^'' 

The boys would sometimes trouble him, by removing 
things from his premises or otherwise interfering with 
him. The cannon that now does annual patriotic service 
on the morning of Fourth of July, on " Bunker Hill," 
was originally owned by a military company in the 
vicinity, and was usually stowed away, when not in use, 
in some portion of Mr. Allen's premises. The boys 
would sometimes steal this away, and the first intimation 
of the roguery would be its discharge in some part of the 
village. The boys would then hide away, and the gun 
would be restored to its place, to await a similar act at 
some future time. At one time a lad while playing, ac- 
cidentally sent his ball through a pane of glass in the 
window over the front door. The window was a semi- 
oval, and formed of diamond-shaped panes. The boy 
was much frightened, but soon concluded to face the 
music at once, and went around to a side door and in- 
formed Mr. Allen what he had done. " Oh, dear ! boy ! 
how did you do that ? " said Mr. Allen. The boy replied 
that he did'nt mean to, but was playing in the street, 
and before he knew it, it went through the window. 
Mr. Allen looked at him, and then said, " CA, dear ! 
boys will be boys," and that ended the matter. That 
boy, since grown to manhood, passes through the village 
daily to and from his place of business. 




DR. CHARLES JEWETT, 
(The Temperance Lecturer.) 



CENTEEVILLE. 195 



Almy & Brown owned five-eighths of the Warwick 
mills, and their shares were purchased by John Greene 
in 1836, at the rate of $55,000 for the whole. John 
Greene, was the son of Gideon, and grand-son of John 
Greene, who was one of the six brothers who established 
the iron works at Coventry. One of these latter- was 
Gen. Nathaniel Greene. John Greene had worked as a 
boy for Col. Job Greene, and by his prudence and in- 
dustry, was enabled at last to purchase an interest in 
the mill, and died July 16, 1851, one of the richest men 
in the vicinity. His last wife, who survived him several 
years, was Mary Arnold, a daughter of Wilham, son of 
. Caleb Arnold, of Apponaug, and sister of Mr. John B. 
Arnold, of this village. 

In the autumn of 1835, Dr. Charles Jewett, who has 
since achieved so much distinction as a temperance lec- 
turer, accepted the invitation of several of the leading 
citizens of the village to settle here as a physician, in 
the place of Dr. Knight, who had decided to remove to 
Providence. The Doctor had earned already an excel- 
lent reputation as a physician, in East Greenwich, 
where he had located in 1829, and came here under 
very favorable prospects. But during the year 1837, 
his temperanc'e zeal, and the success that had already 
attended his efforts as a lecturer, led him to forsake 
the lancet and pill-box, and accept an agency under 
the R. I. Temperance Society. The Doctor has been 
full and running over with his subject ever since, and 
could lecture every evening for a month without being 
in danger of repeating himself. His addresses are 
sound and practical, appealing to the reason and judg- 
ment of his audiences and spiced with a sufficient 
amount of wit and humor to hold the attention of both 
old and young. In 1872, he published an interesting 
volume entitled a "Forty Years' Fight with the 
Drink Demon," in which he gives a graphic account of 
the temperance reform and his labors in connection with 
it during that period. He lives at present in Norwich, 
Conn. 



196 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

At what date the manufacture of woolen cloth com- 
menced I have not been able to learn. Mr. Wm. D. 
Davis bought the woolen machinery in January, 1850, and 
the tenements, water-power and cotton mills, in Decem- 
ber, 1851. Previous to this Allen Waterhouse had 
started the manufacture of several kinds of . cassimere. 
Two-thirds of the mill property, includincr both sides of 
the river, were purchased of the heirs of John Greene 
and others, at the rate of 41,000 for the whole ; the 
other third, belonging to the heirs of James Greene, he 
bought at auction, at the rate of $38,000. Mr. Davis 
sold the green mill, on the east side of the river, to 
Hon. Benedict Lapham, who commenced operations in 
1852. Mr. Davis continued to run the woolen mill until 
1860, when he sold out to Gen. James Waterhouse, who 
run it until his death, which occurred in Lowell, March 
25, 1872, whither he had gone to visit his wife, who 
was there ill. Gen. Waterhouse was born in England, 
and came to this country with no other resources than 
his native powers of mind, which were above the 
average, and a perseverance and industry that never 
tired. His home was noted for the bountiful hospitality 
which greeted his guests. The accumulation of wealth 
rendered him neither proud or avaricious, but what he 
was in the earlier days of struggle and hope, he con- 
tinued to be when he attained a position which made 
him prominent and influential. During the last few 
years of his life he became involved in his business, and 
the mill — a new one which he had built a few years 
previous to his death, and which stands on the site of the 
second cotton mill built in this country — was sold at 
public auction after his death. The old mill had stood 
about seventy-five years. 

In 1873-4 Mr. Lapham built his substantial and well- 
arranged stone-mill, a view of which, with some 
outward arrangements yet to be made, is given in the 
engraving, and which is said to be the largest mill in the 
State owned by a single individual. It stands just in 
the rear of the site of the old green mill, and is 304 feet 




^ 



CENTBEVILLE. 



197 



long; by 72 feet wide, of five stories, with a capacity of 
30,000 spindles. Nearly all the stone necessary for the 
construction of this large building was quarried from a 
ledge a few rods distant. The old mill, erected in 1807, 
was removed to the rear, and is now used for a 
storehouse. It had been enlarged at different times, 
until it had reached the respectable dimensions of 150 
feet long and three stories high, but its glory had 
departed. What a world of picking, and lapping, and 
carding, and drawing, and twisting, and spinning, and 
spooling, and dressing, and weaving, and packing, it 
had witnessed in its day ! and what an amount of 
hurrying, and scolding, and fretting and sneezing, and 
laughing, and chatting ! But all this could not save the 
old mill, and the whir of the spindle and the click- 
clack of the shuttle has ceased within its walls for ever. 
It could not stand the march of improvement. Its 
compeer across the river, went off, a few years before, 
in a chariot of fire, while the old green mill is made to 
sit solitary in the back ground awaiting whatever fate 
may be in reserve for it in the future. 

The earliest items pertaining to schools in this village, 
that I have been able to find, reach back into the last 
century. Joseph B. Pettis is distinctly remembered, as 
a teacher, by a gentleman now living, in whose grand- 
father's family Mr. Pettis boarded at the time. The 
school was kept in the chambers of Anthony Arnold's 
house, opposite Mr. Enos Lapham's. In 1803 the first 
school-house was built, and used both for schools and 
religious meetings. The building still stands, and is 
used as a wheelwright's shop. It was formally dedicated 
with religious services. The first term of instruction 
commenced September 10, 1803, with Mr. Pettis as 
tea'cher. How long Mr. Pettis taught is uncertain, but 
he finally removed to Providence where, in 1828, he was 
the preceptor of the fourth district. Mr. Pettis 
possessed some knowledge of medicine and is remembered 
as "Dr. Pettis." He was followed by Samuel Greene 
who died a few years ago in Coventry, over ninety years 

*17 



19S HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

of age. The third was Sabin Lewis who taught also at 
another period of his life in Apponaug. He is said to 
have been a sea-faring man but "' excellent in the science 
of mathematics ; was a landscape painter and master of 
a forcible style of composition." He subsequently 
removed to Pleasant Valley, New York. Oliver Johnson, 
Esq., was teacher about the year 1821. 

In May, 1803, the "Warwick West School Society" was 
incorporated, with John Greene as librarian, Ray 
Johnson, secretary, and John Allen, treasurer. The 
charter was granted to nineteen persons, all of whom 
have passed awa3^ They, or at least a portion of them, 
owned the school house and provided for the educational 
wants of the village. Similar societies had been 
incorporated in different parts of the town. 

The old tavern-house, now owned by Mr. Lapham, 
was built by Deacon David Cady. He was an active 
member of the Methodist church, and two of his sous 
became ministers of that denomination and are now living 
in Providence. One of them, Rev. Jonathan Cady, 
built the church about the year 1831. He was a 
carpenter at the time. The old house was occupied by 
Oliver Johnson, Esq., of Providence, and others, as a 
tavern, and it has also been used as a post-office. Dea. 
Cady married a Miss Waterman, of Killingly, Conn., 
and had a large family of children. His second wife 
was a daughter of Moses Lippitt, of Old Warwick. 
One of his daughters, Lucia, married Resolved 
Waterman, Esq., of Providence. She left two children, 
the Rev. Henry Waterman, an Ejpiscopalian clergyman, 
of Providence, and a daughter, Nancy, who married 
RoUin Mathewson, Esq., also of Providence. The road 
that passes by the house leading to Crompton was laid 
out in 1773. The opposite corner was the north-east 
corner of the James Greene estate and was known, in 
early times as the Haunted Corner. The house next 
south of the old tavern, on the same side of the road, 
sometimes called the Sterry Fenner house, was also used 
as a tavern. It contained a haU, and is remembered by 



CENTREVILLE. 199 



the older residents as a place where they were 
accustomed to meet and spend an occasional evening 
with violin accompaniment. It was the first hall in the 
village. Whether the music disturbed Dea. Cady or not 
we are not informed. The deacon subsequently removed 
to Providence, where he died. 

The Methodists, previous to the building of their 
church edifice, worshipped in the school house, but had 
no settled preachers. The "Warwick Circuit'' was quite 
extended, including, as we are informed, not only this 
village, but also East Greenwich, Wickford, Plainfield, 
Connecticut, and other places, and the preachers were 
accustomed to preach to them in rotation. One of the 
principal members of the church, here, for many years, 
was Rev. Moses Fifield, a man universally esteemed in 
the community, who preached during the latter years of 
his life only infrequently. When the Centreville Bank 
\\4as incorporated, in 1828, Mr. Fifield, who was at the 
time, a school teacher in the village, was elected its first 
cashier, and continued in that position until a few 
months before he died. He was also the treasurer of 
the Warwick Institution for Savings, from its organiza- 
tion, in 1845. Elder Fifield, was born in Unity, N. H., 
December 19, 1790, and died April 19, 1859. He 
married Celia, daughter of Robert Knight ; she was 
born May 27, 1786, and died July 31, 1874. They both 
lie buried in Point Pleasant Cemetery. 

In 1820, or thereabout, the corner now occupied by 
the pleasant residence of Mr. Ezra J. Cady, boasted of 
a post office, the first one in the village, and kept in 
connection with a " wet grocery," by Whipple A. Arnold, 
and Oliver Johnson. The building was subsequently 
removed a short distance south, on the turnpike, where 
it now stands. Mr. Cady has an acid establishment on 
the Arctic road, where, for many years, he furnished 
acid to various print works, making, at times, a thousand 
gallons weekly. 

On May 27, 1859, Mr. Burrill Arnold, a prominent 
temperance man of Centreville, returned from Provi- 



200 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

dence in a carriage, and arrived at his home about sun 
down. As he was sitting in his store, conversing with 
one of his neighbors a few minutes afterwards, a joerson 
probably disguised, approached the window from the 
outside and deliberately shot Mr. Arnold, causing im- 
mediate death. The affair produced intense excitement 
in the village, and the Town Council offered a reward of 
$1000 for the apprehension of the assassin, which was 
approved by the town mtieting . held the following June. 
Appropriate resolutions were passed by the town in re- 
ference to the affair at the same meeting, but the assas- 
sin has thus far escaped the punishment of the law. Mr. 
Arnold was buried at Greenwood Cemetery, at Plienix, 
and a monument, raised by subscription, among the 
friends of temperance, marks his resting-place. The pane 
of glass that was shattered by the ball and concussion 
remained unset for several years, bearing silent testimony 
to the guilt of the murderer, and the baseness of a tra^e 
that inspired such means lor its defence. Mrs. Arnold 
subsequently married the late George Hail, Esq., of 
Providence. Mr. Arnold's son, George, a graduate of 
Harvard University, and a young man of much promise, 
enlisted in the late war and died in camp in Vir!2:inia. 

The Centreville Bank was chartered June 1828, with 
a capital of $25,000. which has since been increased to 
$100,000. In 1865, it was changed to a national bank. 
The late John Greene was its first president, and the 
late liev. Moses Fifield the first cashier. Rev. J Br lyton 
is now the president and Dr. Moses Fifield,. cashier. The 
Warwick Institution for Savings was organized in 1845. 
The amount of deposits of the latter institution is 
11,343,648 93. The number of depositors is 2,495. Pre- 
sent president, Ezra J. Cady, Esq.; cashier, Dr. Moses 
Fifield. In passing from Centreville to Apponaug, in 
1795, we should pass seven houses, including the old 
part of the house now owned by Mr. Horatio L. Carder, 
early known as Nathan Arnold's, and afterwards as Elisha 
Arnold's, and the one near Apponaug, owned by John 
Tibbitts. The Eben Arnold House, now owned by Mr. J. 



CENTREVILLE. 201 



Johnson, in revolutionary times was owned by Thomas 
Mattison, and was used lor a while during the war as an 
hospital. The farm afterwards passed into the possession 
of Nathaniel Arnold, familiarly known as "Black Nat,'* 
who for a while kept a tavern there. On the opposite 
side of the road, about the year 1815, there was a small 
one-story building that was used as a store, and in one 
part of it an Irishman by the name of McOnomy, or 
some such name, wove shirting. He is said to have 
been the first Irishman that ever lived in this region. 
Nathaniel Arnold became dissatisfied with his home, and 
with his characteristic mode of speaking said he was 
" determined to sell his place if he could not give it 
away." He afterwards sold it to Philip Arnold, whose 
son, Eben, afterwards came into possession of it. Philip 
Arnold was a wealthy man, and lived on the old home- 
stead near Natick, but afterwards became involved and 
lost most of his ])roperty. He had five sons, John, 
Henry, Christopher, Andrew and Eben. The latter was 
the father of Albert H. and Ray G. Arnold, well-known 
and respected citizens. 

A review of the past three-fourths of a century, 
during which the village of Centre ville has attained its 
present proportions, shows many changes. The early 
residents have nearly all passed away. The venerable 
Josiah Merrill who was born December 5, 1799, is the 
oldest person in the village who has made the place his 
continuous home. Most of the early buildings have 
been either demolished or submitted to modern improve- 
ments. A large foreign population have come in, drawn 
by the manufacturing interests, and each year makes its 
mark upon the appearance of the place. So will it con- 
tinue, probably, as the years advance, until the vacant 
places between the several villages will be filled with 
residences, and the distinctive village lines become 
obliterated. 



202 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



ARCTIC, 

This village has borne its present chilly name for about 
a quarter of a century, or since the erection of the large 
cotton mill by the Spragues in 1852-3. It was pre- 
viously known by the name of Wakefield. The Spragues 
seem to have had an inclination to bring the names of 
their villages into a kind of uniformity, in which they 
have partially succeeded. Cranston, named in honor of 
an early Governor of the State, of that name, still resists 
any attempt to change it to Crantic, but the Spragues 
have Natick, Arctic, Quidnick, (previous to 1848 called 
"Tafts,") and Baltic. On the 19th of Feb., 1834, 
Rufus Wakefield purchased of Dr. Stephen Harris a 
small tract of land on the west side of the river, for 
$450, and erected a stone mill, 60 feet by 40, which he 
rented to various parties who made woolen cloth. The 
building still remains, and is used as a warehouse. The 
roof was burned off and the present flat roof substituted. 
At this time the site of the village was a wilderness, 
covered for the most part with a forest, with a house 
here and there scattered over the territory. To the 
westward, was one occupied by a negro and his wife, 
vrho attained some consequence among the surrounding 
families. Prince Holden, as he was called, was of less 
consequence than his sable companion, who was in great 
demand on wedding occasions, on account of her skill in 
making wedding cake. 

Among those who occupied Wakefield's mill, were 
Harris O. Brown and Philip Aldrlch, of Scituate, who 
manufactured a coarse kind of cloth, used principally by 
the southern slaves. They were followed by Clapp and 
Allen: the latter afterwards became interested in the 
mills at Hope village, Christopher W. Spalding and 
Job C. Warriner occupied the upper story, and manu- 
factured Kentucky jeans, Mr, Wakefield was a stone- 
mason, and married the daughter of Nehemiah Atwood, 
of Lippitt village, he was a native of Charlton, Mass., 



AKTIC. 203 

and does not appear to have been engaged in his mill in 
this village. He run the saw- mill of his father-in-law, 
on the north branch of the Pavvtuxet, and sawed the 
lumber for the Lippitt mill. Mr. Wakefield's mill was 
run by the natural fall of water, increased by a rude 
dam of stones laid across the river — a slight fall com- 
pared with the 292 feet since obtained. 

The years 1845 and 6, were most important ones in 
the history of the little village of Wakefield, and were 
destined to exert a permanent influence upon its future 
career. At this time, Rev. J. Brayton, then pastor at 
Phenix, took a quiet walk along the bank of the river 
as far as Centreville, and estimated as well as he was 
able with his eye, the amount of fall between the two 
villages. His observations soon convinced him that here 
was a good chance for a temporary investment, the pros- 
pective profits of which would be a desirable addition to 
his pecuniary resources, which at this time were quite 
limited. But it was easier to perceive the advantages 
resulting from the possession of a right to erect a dam at 
Wakefield, of a sufficient height to secure the full power 
of the stream, than to obtain the right to erect it. The 
land on either side was not his, and he had no money to 
purchase it. The land upon the east bank, was a portion 
of a large farm, and held at the time by Dr. Tobey, of 
Providence, as agent of the heirs of Wm. Almy, of 
Providence, who was authorized to sell it for $15,000. 
He, however, consulted with Dr. Tobey, and obtained 
the refusal of it for one week, and in the meantime suc- 
ceeded in interesting Mr. Henry Marchant, of Provi- 
dence, in his project, who became his security for the 
necessary funds. The property was purchased, and for 
immediate security of Mr. Marchant, the deed of the 
property was made out in his name. A difficulty sub- 
sequently grew out of the matter, which was settled by 
referees, the details of which is not necessary to relate 
here. Mr. Brayton succeeded in recovering the deed 
from Maichant, Aug. 1, 1846. Mr. David Whitman 
raised $8000, by a mortgage upon his own property, and 



204 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



generously loaDed Mr. Brayton, on his personal security, 
and thus enabled him to meet the demands of the case. 
David Whitman was the son of General Reuben Whit- 
man, and worked in the mills at Phenix, in his younger 
days, gradually rising by his industry and integrity, 
until he became connected with Zachariah Allen in run- 
ning the mills there. He afterwards made it his 
business to build new mills and start them up. There 
are several well-remembered instances where, by judi- 
cious encouragement he assisted men in their adversity, 
and induced them to persevere until success crowned 
their efforts. During the latter years of his life he pur- 
chased a farm in Scituate, some three miles from Phenix, 
where his widow now lives. Marchant still continued 
to hold a portion of the land, which afterwards fell into 
the hands of the heirs of Rufus Wakefield, who sold it, 
together with their other property in the village, to A. 
& W. Sprague, in March, 1852. for 111,400. Wm. 
Wakefield, the only surviving child of Rufus, resides at 
St. Paul's, Minn. Mr. Brayton also sold portions of his 
part to the Spragues: in Aujzust, 1852, 38 acres for 
8950 ; and in December, of the fcjllowing year, another 
tract for 11500, reserving the right to a tract, TO feet by 
125, for the site of a church or academy, but which was 
never called for. Further additions were made by the 
Spragues to their landed estate from Dr. Harris, and the 
right of flowage was obtained from the heirs of the late 
John Greene, at an expense of $2500. 

The Messrs. Sprague having now acquired the right 
of making use of the water-power, and having obtained 
sufficient real estate for their purposes, began the work 
of destroying and remodeling on a large scale. They 
destroyed some of the old buildings, turned the wooh n 
mill into a store-house, and excavated with great labor 
a quarry of rock on the east bluff, for the wheel-pit and 
foundation of a mill. A dam was built, which secured 
them a fall of water of 29^ feet. A granite mill grad- 
ually rose up in this then almost wilderness, whose di- 
mensions were 312 feet in length, 70 leet wide, four 



ARCTIC. 205 

stories, each twelve feet high with an L, 50 by 92 feet, 
which contains the machine shop, dressing and lapper 
rooms. The plan of the mill originated with Gov. 
Sprague, the draft for the arrangement of the machinery 
was made by Albert G. Smith. This large and costly 
structure took fire on the evening of March 17, 1865, * 
and all its contents were destroyed. The fire originated 
in the machine shop, where some painters' materials 
were stored, some naptha became suddenly ignited, and 
before sufficient assistance arrived the flames were be- 
yond control. Only the walls remained standing the 
next morning. It is said the loss exceeded the insur- 
ance by $80,000. With commendable enterprise the 
debris was removed, the walls examined by experts, and 
found in the main of sufficient strength to allow of their 
remaining. Defective portions were removed and the 
whole strengthened, and the renovated mill, having 
passed through its fiery baptism, was soon seen in all its 
previous beauty, and its 22,000 spindles were buzzing 
as merrily as ever. 

COLD SPRING. 

On the west bank of the rivdr, a short distance 
below the dam, a small piece of land was owned by Mr. 
Alexander Allen, on which was a little spring, called 
Cold Spring, from which issued a little stream of water, 
in connection with which Mr. Allen had a small tin 
water-wheel which furnished power for some slight 
mechanical work. The wheel was so placed as to pre- 
vent the Harris's from raising their dam, at River Point, 
without flowing the water back upon it. Subsequent 
negotiations between the parties resulted in an exchange 
of this lot for a tract of land to the westward, to the 
advantage, doubtless, of both parties, but especially so 
to that of Mr. Allen. 

Within the past few years, the western bank of the 
river leading to Centreville and Quidnick has rapidly 
increased in population, and numerous neat and com- 

.38 



■206 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

modious dwellings have been erected. A large and 
handsome church edifice has been erected by the French 
CathoHcs, of whom large numbers are employed in the 
several villages. In 1873, mainly through the efforts of 
Hon. Benedict Lapham, a new railroad station house was 
erected near by, and passengers from Centreville and 
Crompton, were no longer under the necessity to take 
the long and tedious omnibus rides to River Point, on 
their way to and from Providence. About a year ago, 
a portion of the village and surrounding territory was 
set off from the Centreville school district and formed 
into a separate district, and a school-house has been 
erected within the past few months. 

PHENIX. 

The territory embraced within the boundaries of the 
present village has been dcvsignated by several different 
names since its first settlement by the pioneers of the 
town. The tract of land reaching from the Shanticut 
brook up along the north branch of the Pawtuxet, as 
far, at least, as Arkwright, and embracing 2100 acres, 
was originally termed Natick. This name gradually 
loosened its hold upon the westerly portions, and became 
the permanent appellation of the village which still bears 
it. The tract was assigned in March, 1673, by the pro- 
prietors of Warwick, to John Greene, Senior, Hichard 
Carder, John Warner, BenjAmin Barton and Henry 
Townsend, as their portion of the then undivided lands. 
It was bounded easterly, on Moshanticut brook ; south- 
erly, on the Pawtuxet river ; northerly, on the north line 
of Warwick grand purchase, and as far westerly as 
was necessary to complete the 2100 acres. Various 
changes in its ownership had taken place previous to 
1750, at which time the westerly portion, including the 
site of the present village, became known as Wales. 
Samuel Wales was, at this time, one of the principal 
owners of the land in this vicinity. Benjamin Ellis, 
Anthony Burton, Charles Atwood, and Andrews 



PHENIX. 207 

Edmonds, at this date were also prominent land holders 
along the line of the river, and reaching back over the 
hills to the northward and eastward. 

Under date of Ma^s 1737, the General Assembly- 
authorized the construction of a highway " from near 
the house of Capt. Rice, in Warwick, to the grist mill 
commonly called Edmonds mill, and from thence to 
extend westerly to the south-east corner of the town of 
Scituate." This old highway is the one that passes 
through the present ' village of Natick, over the lower 
bridge, thence up over Natick hill to the present village 
of Lippitt, where Edmonds' mill was situated. From 
this point it took a turn westerly, up over the hill by the 
present school-house, and down by the old Atwood 
homestead. This was the only public road through the 
village until the year 1813, when a charter was granted 
to several persons to build a turnpike from the present 
village of Anthony through the village to a point north 
where it would intersect an existing highway. It was 
called the Coventry and Cranston turnpike, and was laid 
out May 13, 1813. The distance was 3 miles, 103 rods, 
and 22 links. It was one of the first turnpikes built in 
the state and excited considerable comment at the time. 

Anthony Burton sold to Charles Atwood, February 16, 
1747, a lot of land for X2100, bounded as follows : east- 
erly, by land of Joseph Edmonds and Joseph, Jr.; 
southerly, upon land of Benjamin Ellis and the north 
branch of Pawtuxet river ; and westerly, upon land 
belonging to the heirs of Samuel Wales, containing 144 
acres. Four years afterwards, or on the 21st of May, 
1751, as per deed of that date, Charles Atwood made a 
further purchase of land from Benjamin Ellis of " a 
certain tenement and tract of land situate, lying and 
being within the township of Warwick, commonly 
called and known by the name of Wales, and bounded 
as follows: easterly, upon land of Andrews Edmonds; 
southerly, by the north branch of the Pawtuxet river ; 
westerly and northerly, by land of said Charles Atwood ; 
— and is divided into two pieces by a highway of three 



208 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

rods wide ; the whole of said land contains twelve acres : 
no more or less." The consideration was <£o60, current 
money of New England. 156 acres of land, which 
incKided the sites of the present Phenix and Lippitt 
mills, thus fell into the hands of Charles Atwood. How 
much he owned previous to these purchases I am unable 
to say. Previous to 1783, Charles Atwood died, and 
his estate was divided between his three sons, Charles, 
Nehemiah and Caleb. A quit claim deed of partition 
of the estate, signed by the three sons and recorded in 
Book 2d, Warwick records, in connection with a plat of 
the estate, reads as follows : "The above deciphered farm 
was laid out the 20th day of February, 1783 ; the bigger 
part of said farm lies in Warwick and the rest in Coven- 
try, and the above said farm was laid out for the three 
sons of Charles Atwood, late of Warwick, deceased, for 
them to proceed to make their division, by the consent of 
each other, agreeable to their father's will ; and then 
proceeded and made division of said farm of themselves, 
and made division as near quantity for quality, near as 
may be to suit themselves and their father's w\\\ ; which 
division was made by them and surveyed by their order, 
and all were fully contented and agreed among them- 
selves." 

The western portion of the farm of 61 acres fell to 
Charles, the central to Caleb, and the eastern to 
Nehemiah. Eight acres upon which the Phenix mills 
are now situated, and which seems, by the plat, naturally 
to belong to the central division, or that of Caleb, it ly- 
ing adjacent to his portion and separated from it only by 
the highway, was assigned to Nehemiah. West of this 
tract of eight acres, on the south side of the highway, 
was an acre and forty rods set oif to Caleb. To the 
west of this latter portion was a narrow strip bordering 
upon the river and extending a little beyond the 
Coventry line, which was set off to Charles Atwood. 

To the tract of eight acres Nehemiah added, by pur- 
chase of his brother Caleb, the one acre and forty rods, 
and retained possession of it until there was a call for 



PHENIX. 209 

the use of the water privilege. On August 16, 1809, 
Nehemiah Atwood gave a deed of this tract to Daniel 
Baker, William Baker, Samuel Baker, and William 
Harrison, of VV^arwick, Reuben Whitman, of Coventry, 
Elisha Williams and John S. Williams, of Cranston, " ex- 
cepting the highway running through these premises ; 
and the grantor is not to erect his dam below said prem- 
ises, any higher than a certain hole drilled in a rock on 
the east side of the river, near the upper gates that let 
the water into the grantor's trench-ways. And the 
grantees are not to erect any grist or saw mill on said 
premises at any time hereafter, so long as the grantor 
owns the mills and water privileges below said premises." 
The consideration was the sum of $600. ]S[ehemiah 
Atwood had a saw mill and grist mill lower down the 
river, the interests of which he took pains to protect in 
this deed. Tlie company commenced operations by 
building a dam across the river, and, in the year 1810-11, 
erected a mill which became known as the Roger 
Williams mill. The building was of wood, with a stone 
basement, the end being toward the road. Several tene- 
ment houses sprang up in the vicinity, forming the nu- 
cleus of the present village, which, from this time until 
after the burning of the mill, in May, 1821, was known 
as Roger Williams Village. Reuben Whitman became 
the superintendent of the mill, and built the house now 
owned by Tliomas R. Parker. The old Atwood house 
stood just back of the Phenix hotel, and was torn down 
about the year 1815. The old chimney was torn down 
by Wm. B. Spencer, Esq., when he built " Spencer's 
hall." The east chimney of the hall was built upon the 
site of the old well which was filled up to secure a 
foundation. 

Soon after the destruction of the Roger Williams 
mill, new buildings arose from its ashes, and both 
the new company and the village assumed the 
name of Phenix. The Phoenix was said to be a won- 
derful Egyptian bird, about the size of the eagle, with a 
plumage partly red and partly golden. The bird is said 

*i8 



210 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



to have gone from Arabia to Eg3^pt every 500 years, 
bearing the dead body of its parent embahned in myrrh, 
to the temple of the sun : or according to another ac- 
count, when he found himself near his death, he pre- 
pared a nest ot myrrh and precious herbs where he 
burnt himself, and immediate!}^ revived Irom his ashes 
in all the freshness and vigor of youth. The subse- 
quent history of the village might suggest the possibility 
that the assumption of this name by the village at this 
time, gave offence to the bird, and, as an expiation of 
the offence, it was doomed to earn its title by subse- 
quent sacrifices. 

The extensive water-power offered by the river from 
Hope village to River Point awakened the enterprise of 
manufacturers, and the destruction of the Roger Wil- 
liams failed to daunt the courage of those who saw 
wealth and prosperity in its swiftly moving currents. 
The old company, composed principally of men of small 
meaiis, and of little experience in the business, had not 
found it a profitable undertaking, and were ill prepared 
to sustain the loss occasioned by the fire. A new com- 
pany was formed, which styled itself the Phenix Manu- 
facturing Company. They put up a new mill on the 
site of the old one in 1823, and two years after, the one 
that stands just above it. The village now began to in- 
crease rapidl}^ Many dwelling-houses were erected, 
stores were built, and in 1849, Wm. B. Spencer erected 
the block called Spencer's Hall. This was burnt No- 
vember 21, 1855, and rebuilt immediately ; burnt the 
second time. May 24, 1S71, rebuilt of brick, and again 
destroyed by fire, March 5, 1873. Other industries were 
introduced, and a season of prosperity enjoyed. 



PHENIX. 



211 




SPENCER'S HALL. 



212 HISTORY OF WARWICK 

Of the further changes that took place in the manage- 
ment of the mills prior to January, 1861, we have not space 
to relate. On the latter date the Hope Company was 
organized, composed of John Carter Brown, Robert H. 
Ives and others. The}' bought out Benjamin C. Harris, who 
held the lower mill and half the privilege, and in 1857, 
purchased the lease of the upper mill and the other half 
of the privilege held by Thomas Harris and Christopher 
Lippitt, which had three years to run. Since then the 
company have run both the mills. Mr. W. T. Pearce 
has been the efficient superintendent for the past four- 
teen years. 

Before the Roger Willliams was burnt a building 
stood near the upper gates of the present dam, which 
was used awhile as a wood shop. It escaped the fire 
but was subsequently moved to another site. Across 
the trench stood the old Roger Williams machine shop, 
where Daniel Gorham commenced the building of 
machinery. The upper portion was sometimes used 
for religious meetings, and here the eccentric Lorenzo 
Dow, is remembered to have preached. Mr. Gorham 
continued to build machinery until he died, when the 
business was carried on by Cyril Babcock for a num- 
ber of years. Mr. Babcock afterwards removed to 
Providence and became connected with the Franklin 
Foundry Machine Company. After he left, the firm of 
Levalley, Lanphear & Co. was formed, composed of 
Robert Levalley, Thomas P. Lanphear, Elisha Harris and 
Giles Spencer. They continued in the old building 
until the Harris Mf'g Co. erected the building in which 
the present Lanphear Machine Co. carry on the business. 
Cyril Babcock married the sister of Daniel Gorham for 
his first wife, and a daughter of the late Dr. Peleg Clark, 
of Coventry, for his second. Mr. Babcock met with a 
severe accident several years before his death. He died 
suddenl}^ while riding in a horse car in Providence. 

On November 30, 1810, as per deed of that date, 
Molly Atwood, widow, Russel, Frances B., and George 
Atwood, conveyed a small strip of laud to Charles 
Bi-ayton, described as follows: 



PHENIX 213 

" All the right, title and claim, we have, or either of us have 
ever had, or of right ought to have, to a certain small lot or 
parcel of land, situated partly in Warwick and jiartly in 
Coventry, in that part called Natick, near Edmonds' bridge (so 
called), and bounded and described as followeth, viz. : Begin- 
ning at a certain bound, erected in line of the highway, and in 
the wall, a little west from the Dwelling-house late belonqring 
to Charles Atwood, deceased, and running northerly, a 
straight line, to the end of a wall a little to the northward and 
eastward of said bridge, which is supposed to be the North 
line of the town of Warwick; from thence to the river at right 
angles, — and meaning to convey all the right and title we have 
in, and to all the land lying between said lines and the river, 
otherwise bounded easterly and northerly, on the grantor's 
land ; westerly, on the river ; and southerly, on land ow^ned by 
the owners of the Roger Williams Cotton Manufacturing Com- 
pany, to wit: Caleb Williams and others." 

The consideration was $6. This tract was conveyed 
by Charles Brayton to Babcock & Stone, Aug. 9, 1834. 
the consideration being $80. Edmonds' bridge crossed 
the river near where the Briggs' House now stands. 
The bridge was kept up until after the Coventry and 
Cranston turn pike was put through, and was then suf 
fered to decay. A man by the name of Esek Edmonds 
lived on the opposite side of the river, in the house now 
owned by Mr. VVm. C. Ames. 

Previous to the year 1820, the only dwelling-houses 
on the north side of the river, between the spot where 
now stands the Lippitt store and the machine shop in 
Harrisville with the exception of those connected with 
the mills was one owned by Caleb Atwood, on the site of 
the one now standing next west of Dr. Clark's, the old 
Atwood house just back of the present Phenix Hotel, 
already alluded to, and an old house that stood on the 
site of the upper end of the present Machine shop, owned 
by a man named Roberts, one of whose descendants is a 
practicing physician in Scituate. The gambrel roofed 
building in the rear of the store at Lippitt, was occu- 
pied at one time by Col. Christopher Lippitt, who was 
Superintendent of the Lippitt Mfg. Co. Caleb Atwood 
afterwards built a house on the opposite side of the road 
from his residence, which was used as a hotel. Mr. 



214 HISTOEY OF WARWICK. 

Atwood kept the toll-gate. In the year 1825, the estate 
of George Atwood, a descendant of Charles, was cut up 
and sold to various parties, and from about this date the 
number of private dwellings rapidly increased. On the 
site of the machine shop there was a small two-story 
stone building, owned by Daniel Atwood. A novel kind 
of a dam, that extended in an oblique direction only 
half-way across the river, excited the curiosity of the 
people and turned the water upon the wheel of their 
mill, which received the significant name of the "Dump- 
ling mould." 

On the south side of the river, on the hill, stands the 
house owned previous to 1820, by Peter Le valley, who is 
said to have been a descendant of the Huguenots, a 
term of contempt applied to French Protestants in the 
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Previous to the 
year 1700, the forty-five families of this class who had 
settled French town in this State, all but two had 
removed to New York. Gabriel Bernon and Pierre 
Ayrould went to Newport, where they appear to have 
settled. Whatever may have been the religious pro- 
clivities of Peter Levalley, he found the hill-top overlook- 
ing the valley of the Pawtuxet a pleasant place to 
reside, and here he spent his life rearing his family and 
cultivating a portion of his extensive farm. An old 
deed of conveyance, bearing date of March 5, 1757, 
informs us that Job Greene, of Coventry, conveyed to 
Peter Levalley fifty acres of land "laid out as near a 
square as may be," and bounded southerly on land of 
Michael Levallejs easterly on land of Thomas Utter and 
westerly on land of grantee. The consideration was 
XI 260. Michael Levalley was the father of Peter. In 
1761, Job Greene also conveyed to Peter Levalley a 
portion of land, "bounded northerly on land of Joseph 
Edmonds and partly on grantor, easterly, partly on the 
river and partly on land of Thomas Utter, southerly, on 
land of the grantee." The tract contained twenty-five 
acres, and the consideration was £1100. Peter Levalley 
gradually added to his domain by inheritance and jpur- 



PHENIX. 215 

chase until he became a large land holder. His farm, 
embraced a tract of several hundred acres in extent, 
reaching as far at least as the pleasant residence of 
Henry L. Greene, Esq., in that direction, and winding 
around southerly and westerly so as to embrace the 
grounds now known as the Greenwood Cemetery. At 
his death, about the year 1820, his estate was divided 
among his children. His son Thomas, when the turn- 
pike was built, erected the house on the opposite side of 
the road, now occupied by John Levalley ; Josiah and 
William, Ruth, who married Samuel Baker, of Natick 
Hill ; Catherine, who died unmariied ; Margaret, who 
married Judge Henry Remington, and Mary, the mother 
of the eccentric Amanda, were his children. To the 
north of the Levally farm and bordering upon the river, 
Anthony A. Rice owned about thirty-five acres, a por- 
tion of which he sold to the Lippitl. company to enable 
them to turn the river into a new channel, and thereby 
prevent the water from flowing back upon their water- 
wheel. In 1837, on the death of Mr. Rice, the estate 
was divided among his heirs. At the time the Roger 
Williams mill was burnt, Mr. Rice lived in the house 
that stands west of the one built by Gen. Reuben 
Whitman, father of David Whitman. Mrs. Rice, or as 
she was familiarly called " Mum Rice," observing the 
prosperity and growth of the village, at one time declared 
that she "really believed that Phenix was des-ti-ned 
yet to be a sea-port town." It is said that when the 
bridge was being built across the river, and before the 
flooring was laid, she walked across on one of the string 
pieces, as perpendicularl}^ as a plumb line and as uncon- 
cernedly as though she was on a common path-way, 
thus foreshadowing the celebrity that has since been 
achieved by one of her grand-children, in his airy and 
watery gymnastics. Mrs. Rice is remembered as an 
active, industrious woman and the many anecdotes 
related of her, bear evidence of her wit rather than of 
her ignorance. 

The educational and religious privileges afforded by 



216 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

the village at the present time have arrived at their 
present state by a gradual progress. Previous to the 
year 1827, there was no building in the village which 
had been erected especially for these purposes. The old 
Tatem meeting-house, the first one built in the village, 
was erected in 1829, and occupied subsequently by the 
Methodists, who afterwards purchased it. The second, 
built by the old Baptists, a branch of the " Maple Root," 
in Coventry, was erected in 1838. The Baptist church 
was built in 1842, and sold to the Catholics in 1859, 
and in the following year they entered the vestry of their 
new and beautiful house. The Methodist church was 
built by Dea. Pardon Spencer, of Crompton, in 1857-8. 
The first week-day schools were held in private houses, 
and probably accommodated all who were inclined to 
attend them. In 1818, Miss Amey Gorton, sister of 
Mrs. William B, Spencer, taught in a house on the 
east side of the river, and subsequently, Elisha W. 
Baker, brother of the late Dr. Baker, of Fiskville, 
taught in the same house, and for one term, had a school 
in the house of the late Dea. Wm. Spencer. A man by 
the name of Austin is also remembered as a teacher 
about this time. Following this arrangement, but at 
what precise date I have not been able to determine, a 
school was held in a building erected as a store, north 
of Lippitt village, on the turnpike. The internal ar- 
rangements were of the simplest character, quite in con- 
trast with the accommodations of the present day. Kude 
slabs from the neighboring saw-mill, with the less un- 
comfortable side uppermost, with pegs driven into them 
for legs, without backs, constituted the seats, while 
about the sides of the room a board was attached to be 
used by the pupils in turn, while in the exercise of pen- 
manship. Upon such seats many an urchin sat, with 
dangling feet, and, perchance, fell asleep, and slept, to 
fall, and fell, to electrify the little company with an ex- 
temporary solo more distinct than melodious. With the 
primitive school-room were associated a little roughness 
in some of the teachers, though probably not more in 



PHENIX. 



217 



the schools in this vicinitv than in others. Hood, in his 
" Irish school-master," gives a ludicrous and overdrawn 
picture of the early teachers of his day, and which will 
hardly be applicable in all respects, with the earlier 
teachers of this town, though in some respects a re- 
semblance may be detected : 

"No chair he hath, the awful pedagogue, 
Such as would magisterial hams imbed: 
But sitteth lowly on a birchen log 
Secure in high authority and dread. 
And so he sits amidst his little pack 
That look for shady or for sunny uoon 
Within his visage as an almanack; 
His quiet smile foretelling gracious boon. 
But when his mouth drops down like rainy moon, 
With horrid chill each little heart unwarms, 
Knowing that infant showers will follow soon, 
And with forebodings of near wrath and storms, 
They sit like trembling hares, all trembling on their forms." 

In 1827 a charter was granted by the General As- 
sembly, to " The Lippitt and Phenix Sabbath-school 
Society," and from the time the society built their house, 
which was done at once, the village has had a per- 
manent place for schools, and also for religious worship, 
as long as the house was needed. There was no settled 
pastor in the place at this time, but occasionally a minis- 
ter came in and held meetings and then departed. The 
Methodist circuit preachers made occasional visits, and 
Henry Tatem, who was a tailor by trade, and worked in 
a little shop still standing, held occasional services. 

Elder Charles Stone, grandfather of the late Horatio 
Stone, then preaching at Coventry, in what has since 
been known as the old Stone meeting-house, is remem- 
bered as one of the earlier occasional preachers.* At 
this time the house of the late Dea. Wm. Spencer was 

* Elder Stone preached in the old Baptist meeting-house, iu Cov- 
entry, that stood " on the load thatleads from Thomas Waterman's to 
Thomas Brayton's, on a location between said Waterman's and the 
house of Christopher Knight." The old bouse, the site of which may 
still be pointed out, was built i > 1758-y Elder Stone was ordained to 
the ministry, June, 20, 1798, and preached in this house many years, 
19 



218 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

the usual stopping-place of such persons, where they 
always found a cordial welcome. Dea. Spencer belonged 
to the church at French town, and was accustomed to 
walk over there on Saturday and return on Monday. He 
continued to do this until a few^ years before he died. 
The object of the "• Sabbath-School Society" was to pro- 
vide a suitable building where not only the Sabbath- 
school but the week-day school and religious meetings 
could be held. The record book of the society is before 
me, from which it appears that '' Stephen Levalley, Rufus 
Wakefield, Edmund C. Gould, Daniel Gorham, William 
Spencer, Esq., and others," petitioned the General As- 
sembly for an act of incorporation. The petition was 
granted, and the society was permitted to hold real and 
personal property to the amount of iiO,000. 

The corporation proceeded at once to provide a build- 
ing. The lot, which is the one now occupied by the 
public school, was purchased of Caleb At wood, by 
William Spencer, in behalf of the society, who gave a 
deed of transfer to the society. Its cost was $100. 
Bowen Angell built the house, at a cost, to the society, 
of $353 80, which, with the cost of the lot, painting, &c., 
added, amounted to -1882 71. This amount was divided 
into 134 shares, at $6 55 per share, making $877 70. 
By the act of incorporation, no person was allowed to 
hold more than sixteen shares, and each share was en- 
titled to a vote, in the management of its affairs. The 
Lippitt Manufacturing Company, however, held fortj- 
four shares. At a meeting held August 4, 1827, Samuel 
Briggs, Jr., was elected president ; Stephen G. Hopkins, 
secretary ; and Rufus Wakefield, treasurer. James A. 
Hills, William Spencer, and Stephen G. Hopkins, a com- 
mittee " to let the school-house, examine the school, 
solicit preachers," &c. Financially, the project seemed 
to be somewhat successful, as in 1828 the Society de- 



and until his death, in 18M. He is remembered as "a man of deep, 
practical sense, and acti\'e piety. He was not educated, but belonged 
to that class of self-made minds that no want of learning can cramp 
into error, or seduce into mental indolence." 



PHENIX. 219 

clared a divideud of fourteen cents on each share. In 
1829, thirty-one cents, and the followino; year, twenty- 
two cents. 

The following were the name.-; of the several presi- 
dents of the society : Edmund 0. Gould, in 1829 ; Wm. 
C. Ames, 1830 to 1832 ; Leonard Loveland, from 1832 
to 1836 ; Daniel Wheelock, from 1836 to 1838 ;^ William 
Spencer, from 1838 to 1847 ; when, by vote of *the cor- 
poration, the house and lot were sold to the school dis- 
trict for $800. The first teacher who taught in the 
building was Samuel Briggs. Peter D. Healy, who be- 
came one of the veteran teachers of the town, taught 
here in 1829-30, followed by a succession to the present 
time. The central portion of the present building is 
the old part, to which additicnis have since been made, in 
both its rear and front, as the increasing wants of the 
district have demanded. From 1827, as long as the ne- 
cessities of the parties required, the house was also used 
for religious meetings by the several religious sects in 
rotation. Elder Tatem, a General Baptist, preached 
once a month, until his meeting house was erected, in 
1829. Elder Charles Weaver, a Calvanist Baptist, took 
his turn; also, the Methodist circuit preachers, and El- 
der Thomas Tillinghast divided a monthly Sabbath be- 
tween this house and the Arkwright school-house. 

The year 1841 is remembered by many as a season of 
unusual religious interest in the churches of this village. 
Rev. Jonathan Brayton, having concluded his studies at 
Madison University, after conferring with Wm. B. 
Spencer, Esq., who heartily iavored the project, com- 
menced preaching early in the year in the school-house, 
where an audience of thirteen persons listened to his in- 
structions at the first meeting. In the course of a few 
weeks, the interest increasing, it was decided to hold a 
protracted meeting. Elder John H. Baker, who died a 
few years ago, ripe in years and in goodness, came and 
assisted in the meetings. They held their meetings for 
two weeks in the old Tatem meeting-house, by courtesy 
of the Methodist church, which had then the control of it, 



220 HISTORY OF WAKWICK. 



but afterwards they returned to the school-house. The in- 
terest continued through the year, and resulted in gener- 
ous accessions to the membership of the Methodist church, 
and also in the organization of the present Baptist church, 
in the following winter. The recognition services of 
the new church were held in the old Tatem meeting- 
house, which was subsequently purchased by the Meth- 
odists. About the time that Elder Bray ton commenced 
preaching here, Rev. Abraham Norwood, a minister of 
the Univers^list denomination, removed from Fall River 
and commenced preaching in the place, and dwelt, as he 
said, in "• his own hired house in the wilderness, far re- 
mote, being distant three Sabbath days journey, i. e., 
about three miles — as thou goest by the way of the 
wilderness, into the land of Scituate." A religious 
war soon broke out between the elders and their 
adherents, the particulars of which it is not necessary 
to give here in detail. Mr. Norwood in the course 
of a year removed to Canton, Mass , the boyhood home 
of the writer, where he published a small volume giving 
an account of his Phenix experience from his point of 
view. The book is entitled: "'The Acts of the Elders, 
or the Book of Abraham." It is written in the Scrip- 
tural style with chapters and short verses, with a lengthy 
but witty preface. As an evidence of his ready wit, the 
following note, which the author appends to one of his 
verses, is given respecting his means of subsistence: 
" At a public meeting, Abraham was requested to give 
notice, that there would be a society meeting at a certain 
time, which lie did. Immediately, a worthy brother 
arose and said, 'it is proper for me to say a word about 
the meeting just appointed. It is thought by some that 
brother Abraham has too large a salary, and this meeting 
is called, to see if the society will vote to reduce it. He 
has labored since he has been among us, for bread and 
water ; and ii is proposed that one or the other of these 
should be struck off, and it is for the society to say 
which.' When he sat down, Abraham arose and hu- 
morously entreated them to spare the water, whatever 



PHENIX. 221 

else they might see fit to take away. He would say 
nothing against their stopping his allowance of bread ; 
but as he was a cold water man, that article was indis- 
pensable." The book acknowledges in an amiable way 
that he was accustomed to go into the revival meetings, 
and take out a note book, which he called the " Book of 
Remembrance,,' and take down whatever fell from the 
lips of the speakers, for the purpose of opposing them, 
and bringing them into ridicule, and of attempting to 
speak in the meetings where he knew his words would 
not prove acceptable. The book is a caricature of the 
revival meetings and those interested in them, and was 
destined, as it deserved, to have but little influence in the 
community. 

On the 21st of November, 18G5, a destructive fire 
broke out in the village, which consumed Spencer's 
Block together with an adjoining building used as a 
hardware store and tin shop, and also a dwelling house 
belongiug to Mrs. Remington. Mr. Spencer rebuilt his 
block immediately, and with such expedition that it was 
, occupied in the January following. On May 24, 1871» 
the fiery demon again visited the place with still more 
destructive force, and at this time destroyed the new 
Block and eleven other buildings, including the Bank 
building and two hotels. The following account of this 
fire is irom the Providence Journal, published a day or 
or two afterwards : — 

" About a quarter past five o'clock. Wednesday mornino:^ 
fire was discovered in the upper part of a luiilding owned by 
Mr. William B. Spencer, known as Spencer's New Block, in 
this village. The fire very quickly burst through the roof, and 
the burning pieces falling to the ground, the whole building 
was soon enveloped in flames, and the fire spread with great 
rapidity, although there was scarcely any wind at the time. 
Spencer's Block was soon burned to the ground. It was occu- 
pied by Mr. James J. Smith, for a hardware store. Mr. Smith 
estimates his loss at about $10,000; insured for $4,500— $-2,000 
in the Hope Insurance Com|)an3^ of Providence, and $2,500 in 
the Mechanics and Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, of 
Worcester. Mr. James P. Arnold had a store on the first floor,, 
and nearly the whole of the second story for his undertaking 

*19 



222 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



and furniture business. He estimates his loss at about S8,000; 
insured for S5?000 — $3,600 in the Narragansett, of Providence, 
and $1,500 in the Lamar, of iNew York, on his stock and tools. 
Mr. Nathan A. Capron's bakery was in this building, and was 
almost a total loss. 

Mr. Edwin T. Lanphear had a job printing establishment 
on the third floor, and his office on the second His loss is 
about $6,400; insured for $4,200 — 1,500 in the Narragansett, 
and $1 ,500 in American offices in this city. Mr. Ira O. Seamans 
had a law office and also Card's Orchestra a room in the block. 
Hardly fifty dollars worth of goods was saved from this build- 
ing. A two story building in the rear, owned by Mr. Spencer, 
and occupied by Mr. Arnold as a coffin shop and Mr. Smith as 
a tin shoi^. was also destroyed. The three story bank building, 
owned by Mr. William B. Spencer, was entirely destroyed. It 
was occupied by Messrs. Joseph Merrick & Son, groceries and 
dry goods, whose loss is about $3,500; insured for $3,000 at 
Narragansett office. Mr. Otis Lincoln, boot and shoe store, no 
insurance; the post office, Mr. VN'illiam Johnson, Postmaster, 
who also kept a restaurant; Messrs. Cnjjwell & Arnold, 
apothecary store, partial loss; insured for $2,500 at the City 
Insurance Company of this city; Mr. Sterry Y. Chase, clothing 
store, goods mostly saved; Mr. William H. Snow, tailor; Mr. 
Angell, watches; Mr. Henrj- Potter, millinery store, goods par- 
tially saved ; Dr. Alexander S. Knox, dentist; Miss Sophia Snow, 
school; and the Phenix National Bank, whose valuables were 
saved. The Phenix Hotel, owned and kept by Mr. Rhodes 
Andrews, was entirely destroyed with the outbuildings; insured 
at Sarle's agency in the Norwich Insurance Company, Nor- 
wich, Ct., ^2,500 on hotel buildings and contents, and $1,000 
in Tradesman's, New York, office, in horses, carriages and 
contents of livery stable. 

A two story building, situated across the road to the west, 
owned by Messrs. Lawtou & Colvin, was entirely destroyed. 
Insured by D. R. Whittemore in the Mechanics and Farmers 
Insurance Company, Worcester, for $1,500. It was occupied 
by Mr. John Miller, confectioner, who also lived up stairs, and 
by Dr. Colvin, dentist, who were not insured. A liquor shop 
next to the last mentioned house, kept by J. C. Conley, was 
entirely destroyed. Insured in the Narragansett office for 
$1 ,500. A three story block, ownea by Mr. Benjamin C. Harris, 
was burned to the ground. It was occupied by Mr. Joseph 
Lawton, clothier, whose stock was mostly saved; insured for 
$2.5U0 at Mechanics and Farmers office, Worcester; loss about 
$500; Mr. Palmer T. Johnston, meat market; J. C. Rose, liquor 
store and billiard saloon; insured at Geo. T. Paine's office in 
National Company, Bangor. Me., for $1,000; John St. John, 
barber; insured in City Insurance Company, of this city, for 



PHENIX. 223 



8400; and the Mechanics Hall. A building owned by Mr. Ira 
O. Seamans and situated across the road from the Phenix 
Hotel, called the " Roger Williams House," was also destroyed; 
insured for S-,500 in the Xarragansett, of Providence. Mr. 
Henry C. i?hepard kept the hotel, and was insured at the 
Hope office, in this city, for sl,.500 on furniture and fixtures; 
and Mr. Ralph, a meat market in the buildinsr. A two story 
dwelling house next to this, owned by the Lonsdale Company, 
was partly destroyed. It was occupied by Mrs. .Tohu Xieholas 
and Sophia Remington. Mr. Ira O. Seamans' dwelling house, 
occupied by himself, was partly destroyed; no insurance. A 
waste house, in which lumber was stored, and a barn occupied 
by Mr. [N". A. Caprou, both owned by Mr. Spencer, were 
destro3'ed. 

As near as could be ascertained, the insurance on the several 
buildings owned by Mr. Wm. B. Spencer, which were a total 
loss, being entirelv consumed, is as follows: Merchants, .S3.333; 
Roger Williams, ■';r'3,333: Atlantic. 82,500; Equitable. 85,000; 
Hope, 81,200— all of this city: and at Turner & Armstrong's 
office for 82,500, in Metropolitan Company, Xew York; and 
for 82,^^00 in Westchester Company, Xew Rochelle, -N". Y., 
which will not cover the loss. Ralph & Irwin's saloon was in- 
sured at Westchester, X. Y.. Company for 8800. 

A dweliini{ and grocery store, owned and occupied by Mr. 
Philip Duff}-, caught fire several times, but each time the fire 
was extinguished. There was considerable delaj' in getting 
water on the fire, and the buildings burned very rapidly, the 
fire being about over by 8 o'clock. A sxieam of water from the 
force pump of a mill near at hand, served to prevent the fur- 
ther spread of the fire. A man named James Parkinson was 
verj' severely injured by the fall of a chimney upon him ; at noon 
there was some hope of his recovery. 

There is no fire engine or company in the village. If there 
had been, a large amount of property might doubtless have 
been saved. The total loss is estimated at from 875,000 to 
8100,000. The origin of the fire is unknown. The buildings 
were very rapidly consumed, and soon after 8 o'clock, three 
hours tiom the time it was discovered, the whole square 
showed only their smoking ruins. It must be a heavy loss to 
the thriving village ot Phenix, but one which its public spirit 
and enterprise will doubtless soon repair." 

By this time we might suppose the village had fairly 
earned its name, and the bird of Egypt would be satis- 
fied without exacting any further evidence of its lovaltv, 
but it proved exorbitant in its demands and on March 5, 
1873, required a further sacrifice of several buildings in 



224 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

the business part of the village. The fire broke out in a 
large three story building owned by John Conly, which 
was entirely consumed, also a building on the east of 
this, owned by Joseph Lawton and A. W. Colvin, and 
on the west a house and store of Philip Duffy, and a 
barn belonging to S. E. Card. Theuce, crossing to the 
north side of the street it burnt the dwelling house of 
S. E. Card, and a laro;e building used for stores, Masons' 
hall, Pheuix National Bank, dentist's offices, and other 
business purposes, also owned by S. E. Card, together 
with a large brick block, belonging to Wm. B. Spencer, 
and occupied by Nathan A. Capion for a bakery, E. T. 
Lanphear, printing office, N. E. and S. J. Hoxie, dry 
goods store, and J. P. Arnold, furniture ware rooms. 
Mr. Spencer, having had his buildings burned three 
times, decUned to rebuild again, and sold the land on 
which they stood with the ovens, which were not de- 
stroyed, to Mr. N. A. Capron, who erected the brick 
building that now occupies it. Most of the buildings 
have since been replaced, and this portion of the village 
never looked more thrifty than at present. 

The building erected by Mr. James J. Smith, called 
Music Hall, containing the finest hall in the county, the 
new brick building occupied by Mr. Joseph Lawton as a 
clothing house, the extensive diy goods and grocer}^ store 
of the Messrs. Hoxie, the block containing the post office, 
and the large building across the river, occupied by Mr. 
James P. Arnold, in the furniture business, bear testi- 
mony to this statement. 

Of the enterprise of its inhabitants we need not speak 
further, though we are strongly tempted to mention one 
individual to whom the place is perhaps more indebted, 
than to any other single person for its attractive appear- 
ance, both as regards the beauty of its private dwellings 
and those used for different purposes. 

The Phenix Village Bank was incorporated in 1856. 
Capital $50,000. Wm. B. Spencer was elected Presi- 
dent, and H. D. Brown, Cashier. On August 1st, 1865, 
it was changed to Phenix National Bank. The Phenix 



-* LIPPITT. 225 

Savings Bank, chartered in 1858, had, on December 2, 
1872, $285,636 36 credited to 670 depositors. 

In 1847 Wm. B. Spencer, Esq., completed the dwell- 
ing honse on the north part of the land he purchased of 
Mr. Levalley, and resided in it until June, 1868. This 
dwelling house, which is one of the finest in the vicinity, 
he sold to Nathan A. Capron, Esq., who now occupies 
it. Mr. Capron has carried on the bakery business here 
many years, succeeding James Hackett in the business. 
About the year 1847, one oven of moderate dimensions 
was all that, his business demanded. In 1850 Mr. 
Spencer erected a new house, with two larger ovens, 
which he rented to Mr. Capron for eighteen years, and 
in 1868 he erected three large ovens near the centre of 
the village, and leased them to the same individual. On 
the 23d of April, 1858, he purchased of Cyrus Harris 
thirty-five acres of land just over the line in the town of 
Coventry, which was formerly a part of the Levalley 
estate, and devoted about twelve acres of it as a burial 
place, known as the Greenwood Cemetery, upon which 
he expended two years of labor and about $10,000. In 
1869-70 he erected the spacious and beautiful dwelling 
in which he now resides, a view of which is given in the 
engraving. 

LIPPITT VILLAGE. 

The early possessors of the land, previous to the erec- 
tion of the mills, with the educational and religious 
items pertaining to this village have already been given 
in connection with the account of Phenix. Besides this 
the history of the village is nearly identical with that 
of the manufacturing company organized here in 1809. 
On November 9th, of that year a co-partnership was en- 
tered into between Christopher Lippitt, of Cranston, 
Charles Lippitt, of Providence, a brother of Christopher, 
Benjamin Aborn, George Jackson, Amasa and William 
H. Mason, of Providence, to continue for the term of 
ten years from the first day of January, 1810. The 



226 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



company assumed the name of the " Lippitt Manufactur- 
ing Coui])any." The capital stock was to consist of 
$40,000, divided into thirty-two shares, of which the 
Lippitt brothers lield eight shares each and the others 
four shares each. They agreed that until the " whole 
amount advanced or accumulated by profits amounted 
to the sum of $40,000 no dividend should be made with- 
out the unanimous consent of the company." 

Two daj^s after the organization of the company, Nov. 
11, 1809, as per deed of that date, they made their first 
purchase of land on which to commence preliminary 
operations. The land was purchased of Nehemiah At- 
wood, and was bounded in part as follows : " Beginning 
at the eastermost corner of my saw-mill and grist-mill 
house, and from thence running north forty-one degrees 
east, eight rods and nineteen links to the high-way, 
westerly on an open log- way for the use of said saw-mill^ 
thence south sixty-four degrees east, three rods and 
eleven links on said high-way, thence north fifty-five de- 
grees east, two rods on said highway, thence south, 
thirty-nine degrees east, two rods on said highway, 
thence north sixty -five degrees east " etc. together with 
the privilege of drawing water from the said At wood's 
pond above the saw-mill and grist-mill in sach quanti- 
ties as will be sufficient to carry two thousand spindles 
by water frames, and also sufficient for the use of a forge 
or trip hammer works." The consideration was the sum 
of $1600. 

On the 24th of November, two weeks after their pur- 
chase of the real estate, the company entered into an 
agreement with Hines & White for the necessary ma- 
chinery which was to be delivered by Sept. 30, 1810, 
and for which they agreed to pay the sum of 810,601. 

Before the accomplishment of the work the firm of 
Hines & White dissolved, and a new contract was made 
with White alone with some new specifications. While 
the machinery was being built the company set them- 
selves vigorously at work to get the mill ready for its re- 
ception. The busy work of preparation is not a matter 



LIPPITT. 227 

of record, and only here and there do we find a hint of 
the various propositions, and suggestions that must have 
been made before the matter was finally settled and the 
workmen set about the erection of the mill. On the 2d 
of April, 1810, Col. Christopher Lippitt, one of the firm, 
was chosen agent of the company for one year, at a 
salary of forty-two dollars per month, with instructions 
to engage " in building a mill or mills, building dwelling- 
houses, erecting machinery "' etc. From this item on 
the records of the company, still preserved, and from the 
fact that the machinery was to be delivered on the Sep- 
tember following, we infer that the work of building was 
prosecuted vigorously, though it does not appear that 
the mill was completed until the following year. Subse- 
quent negotiations with those who were building the ma- 
chinery, provided that the company should not be obliged 
to receive the machinery at the time that was originally 
agreed upon. The tradition is, that the mill was ready 
for raising in the following summer, at about the time 
the Roger Williams mill was ready, and by extra exer- 
tions on the part of those having it in charge, they suc- 
ceeded in getting it up before the other. George Burliu- 
game erected the mill. One account designates the 
Fourth of July as the exact day, when the people in 
large numbers gathered and assisted in the work, and 
succeeded not onlj^ in raising it, but also in boarding it 
before the sun went down, but this we deem somewhat 
conjectural. It was at first designed as a two-story 
building, but a third story was added as an after-thought, 
and when power- looms came into use the upper story 
was used for a weave-room until a better place was 
provided. 

Various changes took place among the stockholders as 
the years r€)lled on : new members were admitted and 
old ones dropped out. The first addition was made 
when Nehemiah Atwood took a share of stock which 
he held but a short time and then re-conveyed it to the 
company. On Feb. 11, 1811, Roger Alexander, who was 
a practical mechanic, and whose knowledge of the business 



228 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



was regarded as a desirable acquisition, was induced to 
take a share of the stock. On March 30, 1812, Stephen 
Atwood, son of Nehemiah, sold to the company 
" one undivided half-part of a certain lot of land, water 
privilege, with a grist-mill and saw-mill thereon stand- 
ing, situate in said Warwick and is connected with said 
grantees water privilege," together with "•' all the build- 
ings thereon standing, as also the present and ancient 
rights and privileges that Anthony A. Rice has to pass 
across said premises ; and that Caleb Atwood has to take 
water out of the trench for his tan vats ; and any privilege 
Nehemiah Atwood may have granted the said grantees 
heretofore.'" The consideration was $850. Caleb Atwood's 
tan-yard was situated on the site of the present Lippitt 
office. This office building was used as a store for many 
years. There was a foot bridge across the river, the 
right to pass over which, belonged to Anthon}' A. Rice. 

Oh March 30, 1812, Joanna Atwood, widow of Nehe- 
miah, in consideration of the sum of $300, gave to the 
company a Quit Claim deed of all her right " in and to 
a certain tract of land, water privilege, grist-mill and 
saw-mill thereon standing," etc. On December 8, 1812, 
Christopher Lippitt sold three shares of his stock to 
Thomas Brown, of Providence, lor $5,100. Mr. Brown 
was a merchant, unacquainted with manufacturing, but 
a sound substantial man. He was the father of the 
piesent Col. Wm. H. Brown, of the Providence Light 
Infantry. Roger Alexander went out of the company, 
Dec. 12, 1812, selling his share of stock for $1535, and 
Benjamin Aborn sold out to George Jackson, Jan. 5, 
1817, his share for $1700. Thomas Eddy was agent of 
the concern for the year 1813, and so well satisfied were 
the company with his labors that they presented him 
with a gratuity of $100 at the close of the y^av. 

The war of 1812 had so depressed the cotton business 
that in 1813, every cotton mill in Rhode Island was 
obliged to suspend operations, with the exception of the 
Lippitt mills and the one run by Dexter Thurber, of 
Providence. Dexter Thurber's mill was not large, but 



LIPPITT. 229 

his goods had acquired such a reputation that he was 
able to continue operations, while his less fortuuate fel- 
low manufacturers were obliged to shut down their 
gates. The Lippitt company at the time had a contract 
with the Vermont State Prison, where a large amount 
of the yarn was woven by hand-looms. As an evidence 
of the excellent quality of the yarns furnished the 
weavers, it is said that one of the weavers in the prison, 
in a single day wove on his hand-loom fifty-six yards. 
But when he had finished he was so exhausted that he 
had to be taken out of his loom. The company, how- 
ever felt the depression of the times and were obliged to 
stop a portion of its machinery, and reduce the wages of 
the operatives fifty per ct. They however voted to keep 
" the water-frames and throstle frames in operation." 
The water-frames made the warps, and the throstle 
frames the filling. 

On January 21, 1821, the company re-organized and 
a co-partnership consisting of the same owners as the 
old company was formed, to continue for twenty years. 
The company declared its fourth dividend of 16000, or 
$200 per share, on June 25, 1821. The number of 
shares had been reduced from thirty-two to thirty. On 
Jan. 4, 1822, the company engaged Aborn & Jackson 
and Simon Henry Greene as their agents. 

In 1825, in consequence of the death of Col. Christo- 
pher Lippitt, who died the year previous, his two shares 
in the stock of the company descended by will to his sons 
Christopher and William.* Further additions to the real 
estate of the company were made in 1824, by purchase 
from Caleb Atwood and another from Samuel Budlong 
and Rufus Wakefield, of the tract called the new privilege. 
The profits of the company had been gradual, and up to 
Sept. 26, 1826, they had declared dividends to the 
amount of $60,000. 

On August 18, 1827, the water privileges were sur- 

* For an account of Col. Christopher Lippitt and the Lippitt family, 
see pages 111 — 114. 

20 



230 HISTORY OF WAEWICK. 

veyed and leveled by Benoni Lockwood " to ascertain 
the power of water or amount of head and fall each 
privilege contained." The old privilege was found to 
have a fall of 19 feet 9 in. and the new one 12 feet 1 in. 
"The water in the river at the wading place, would aver- 
age when the above survey was made, from 12 to 15 
inches deep." The wading place was about one hun- 
dred feet north of where the railroad crosses the river. 
On December 5, 1826, an agreement was entered into 
between the company and Messrs. Christopher Rhodes, 
Wm. Rhodes and Wilham Sprague with regard to the 
height that the latter gentlemen had a right to raise 
their dam at Natick. The point was settled by a mu- 
tual agreement " that a hole should be drilled, and an 
iron plug or pin be inserted in a rock on the south bank 
of said Pawtuxet river, being in one of the first highest 
clusters of rocks above the bridge, next to the river on 
the up stream part of the rocks, within a few feet of two 
small walnut trees, and about 30 rods above said Natick 
dam, at a place where a grist mill formerly stood." The 
Natick companies had attempted to increase their water- 
power by raising their dam some eighteen inches, before 
the Lippitt company was supposed to have secured 
their right to prevent it. A law-suit was commenced, 
but by an ingenious manouvre on the part of the Natick 
proprietors, the matter was taken out of the courts and 
settled by this mutual agreement. 

James Essex, a popular, energetic man, was the 
superintendent of the mills several years before his 
death in 1826. The official designation of those in im- 
mediate charge of the works had previously been that 
of agent. Several of the sons of Mr. Essex are engaged 
in imporiant positions in connection with cotton manu- 
facturing, one of them being in the employ of Hon. 
Simon Henry Greene, at the Clyde Works. The next 
superintendent after Mr. Essex, was Edmund C. Gould, 
who had previously been employed in the mill as a mule 
spinner. Mr. Gould left and went to Scituate, and his 
place was taken by Leonard Loveland. In 1830 Mr. 
Loveland was engaged in the mills at Crompton. 



LIPPITT. 231 

In 1833, John F. Phillips was made the agent of the 
company for three years. Feb. 5, of the same year, 
George Jackson, one of the company, having deceased, 
four of his shares were conveyed to Charles Lippitt, for 
the sum of $12,000. His one remaining share was sold 
Feb. 25, 1833, to Wm. Lippitt for |3,000. In 1838, 
Daniel Wheelock was appointed superintendent. On 
May 18, 1841, business having been depressed for some 
time previously, the company made their dividend of 
$6,000, in bleach goods, at seven cents per yard for 32 
inch, and seven and a half cents for 34 inch, instead of 
cash, as previously. In 1842, James Caswell was 
the superintendent and Samuel R. Hopkins had special 
charge of the accounts and the store. On Dec. 10, 1843, 
Wm. H. Mason conveyed to Charles Lippitt, four and 
one half shares for the sum of $8,775, and Thomas 
Brown, on Nov. 24, 1843, conveyed to the same, two 
shares for $4,000. On the decease of Charles Lippitt, 
his 19^ shai'es were divided among his six children as 
follows : To Warren Lippitt, Charles Lippitt, Julia A., 
wife of Joseph Sweet, Sarah W. and Penelope Lippitt, 
and Cornelia A. Andrews, widow. The division was 
made Dec. 15, 1845. 

On January 30, 1850, a meeting of the company was 
appointed, to elect an agent in the place of Warren 
Lippitt, deceased, who had been the agent for the thir- 
teen years previous. Warren Lippitt was the father of 
the present Gov. Henry Lippitt. There were present at 
the meeting Charles F. Tillinghast, Esq., who represented 
62 shares ; Wm. Lippitt, who represented 6 shares ; Levi 
C. Eaton, 4 1-2 shares ; George Larned, 6 1-2 shares ; 
Joseph Sweet, 3 1-4 shares ; Henry Lippitt, 3 1-4 shares. 
No election was made at this meeting, but subsequently 
Christopher Lippitt was chosen the agent. On Jan. 1st, 
1851, the whole number of shares was reduced to twen- 
ty-four and divided among the stock holders in propor- 
tion to the stock each then held. On Dec. 15, 1852, the 
company was re-organized under the same name which 
it had held from the beginning, with the capital stock of 
$40,000 divided into 400 shares of $100 each. 



2^2 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Since then various changes have taken place in the 
company. The property passed into the hands of Plarris 
& Lippitt and John Lippitt ; then a company was or- 
ganized under a charter granted by the General Assem- 
bly, with a capital stock of $40,000 and 400 shares, with 
J. Lippitt as President and C. Lippitt as Treasurer, and 
called as previously, the Lijjpitt Mf'g Co. It was after- 
wards sold out to a new firm called the " Lippitt (Com- 
pany," and composed of Stephen Harris, Henry Howard, 
Christopher and John Lippitt, and thus exists at present. 
Mr. Jeffrey Davis is treasurer and Mr. Albert Knight 
superintendent. There are two mills with a capacit}' of 
10,000 spindles.* 

On the 15th of April, 1828, the company leased a 
certain lot of land, and water privilege connected there- 
with, lying in Warwick, "• to Greene & Pike for the 
period of five years, from the 1st of June, 1829, they 
paying an annual rent therefor, of $300. — There were 
no buildings on the premises leased, but the Lippitt 
Company agreed to erect a building 80 feet by 40 feet, 
two stories high, with a basement, and such dwelling 
houses and other buildings as would be necessary to ac- 
comodate the help, and enable Greene & Pike to carry 
on the bleaching business. The latter company were to 
pay an annual rent of 10 per cent, on ihe amount so ex- 
pended. On the 22nd of the following January, it was 
ascertained that the amount expended for the erection 
of the buildings, amounted to the sum of $6,110 85-100. 
The property of which tlie foregoing was a lease, is a 
part of the Lippitt estate, called " the new privilege," 
which, together with the remainder of " the new 
privilege," was sold to Greene & Pike, as per deeds 
of Sept. 27, 1831. Simon H. Greene, afterwards added 
to the estate, by purchases of William Wakefield and 
Joseph Wakefield, in 1851, and of Stephen Harris, in the 
same year ; so that his whole estate contained about 48 
acres of land. 



* Note. My acknowledgements are due to John Lippitt, Esq., for 
permission to examine the early record books of the company contain- 
ing the principal items in this account. 



CLYDE WORKS. 233 



CLYDE WORKS. 

'• The estate purchased by Greene & Pike of the Lip- 
pitt Mf'g Co., in 1831, has on it the lower-most water- 
power of the north branch of the Pawtuxet river, and 
was only accessible at the time of purchase by a drift 
way through the Lippitt village, from the public high- 
way. And the Greene Manufacturing Co.'s estate on 
the south branch of the river, was the lower-most on 
that stream, and similarly situated, as to being isolated 
from a public highway. Doct. Stephen Harris having 
the control of the latter estate, joined with Greene & 
Pike and others in having a public highway lawfully 
laid out, and in building it to the acceptance of the 
town, from the Lippitt village to Greeneville village 
(now Riverpoint). The road was laid out Nov. 14, 1831. 

In 1832 or 33, Greene & Pike added to their works 
business buildings and tenements to enable them to do 
an increased business, and to add variety to the finish of 
white cotton cloth, they erected a large building and 
put in four sections of beetles. They also put in a 
single color printing machine, and built a small dye- 
house, to make blue and white prints. In 1839, their 
bleachery and dry-sheds were burnt attended with a 
heavy loss. In 1842, the dye-house was enlarged, and 
the production of blue prints increased to a small extent. 
This year Mr. Pike died. The surviving partner settled 
up the business of the late firm, continuing the business 
at the same time under a lease. In 1845, he purchased 
the interest in the estate vested in the heirs of his de- 
ceased partner. In 1846, he built a large stone dye 
house, to increase the production of blue prints, and 
added another printing machine. In 1848, he built 
another stone dye house. In 1853, the beetle house 
building and the small dye house before named was 
burnt, and his son John was seiiously injured by a fall- 
ing chimney, from which he suffered much through life. 

New buildings were erected, of stone, in the place of 
those destroyed. Other buildings were erected from 

*20 



234 HISTORY OF WAEWICK. 

time to time, and the necessary machinery put in, so that 
in 1870, the works were fitted to do madder and other 
styles of prints to the extent of seven printing machines. 

On the 1st of May, 1870, the bleachery and white 
finishing department of the business was burnt. The 
bleachery, so far as bleaching for printing was necessary, 
was forthwith rebuilt, but the white finishing Avas de- 
layed until 1873. Other additions have since been made 
at different times, as called for, quite extensively in 
1875, to improve the quality of the work and to cheapen 
its cost." 

The Pawtuxet valley railroad, recently completed, 
crossing the grounds and yard of the works, adds greatly 
to the facilities of doing business, so that few similar 
establishments in our whole country possess equal advan- 
tages, having also a good water power, to assist, and an 
abundant supply of the purest of water for the 
various processes of bleaching and printing. 

Hon. Simon Henry Greene, from whom the author 
has received the items respecting this village, as well as 
many pertaining to the other villages adjacent, is the 
senior member of the firm, and is now in the 77th year 
of his age, but still possesses remarkable vigor both of 
body and mind for one of his years. Associated with 
him in business are four of his five sons, viz., Edward A, 
Henry L., Christopher R. and William R. Greene, all hav- 
ing long experience in the business. Their business is the 
making of prints, popularly known as " Washington 
Prints," and in bleaching and finishing white cotton 
cloths. 

Francis Clinton Greene, youngest son of Hon. Simon 
Henry Greene, and great-grandson of Col. Christopher 
Greene, of revolutionary iiame, was born in Warwick, 
June 23, 1812. He enlisted as a private in the 2d R, I, 
Regiment, being then in the 19th jei\Y of his age. On 
the promotion of 1st Lieut. Beriah Brown to the cap- 
taincy of his company, young Greene was elected a cor- 
poral. Captain Brown afterwards appointed him to be 
his clerk. In the famous battle of Bull Run, July 21st, 



RIVER POINT. 235 



1861, he was wounded by a musket ball in the left leg, 
a little above the ankle, both bones of the leg being 
fractured. After lying for several hours under a hay- 
stack, where he had been placed by friendly hands, his 
wound was dressed by Dr. Rivers, surgeon of the 1st R. 
I. Reg., and he was removed to a log house near by. 
With others, he fell into the hands of the enemy and 
was carried to Richmond and held a prisoner for six 
months. He was released January 17th, 1862, and 
being permanently disabled, was honorably discharged. 
*'He returned to his home, hoping by care and repose to 
regain his health, but exposure and suffering had shat- 
tered his constitution and planted the seed of fatal dis- 
ease in his system. With an eager desire to be engaged 
in active employment, he went to St. Louis, where ona 
of his brothers still resides, and entered upon business 
pursuits. But it was soon manifest that his strength 
was inadequate for the work. Pulmonary disease mani- 
fested itself and compelled him again to seek the rest 
and the render care of his father's house." There he re- 
mained until he died, on the 27th of December, 1865. 
He was a young man of much promise, upright in prin 
ciple, affectionately attached to his friends, and univer- 
sally beloved by all who shared his acquaintance. 

RIVER POINT, 

Like all the villages along the Pawtuxet and its two 
main branches. River Point owes its prosperity and im- 
portance to the lacilities the water power has afforded 
for manufactuing purposes. The two principal branches, 
known as the north and the south branches of the river, 
here unite, after seeking each others company many miles, 
and proceed henceforward to the sea together. The 
sotth branch, west of the village of Washington, is 
known as Flat river, — a name that has sometimes been 
applied to the whole branch — and is foi-med of a multi- 
tude of small brooks, several of which unite near Coven- 
try Centre. One of these little streams rises in 



236 HISTOEY OF WARWICK. 

• 

southern Foster, near what is called Mt. Vernon ridge, 
and another issues from the Quidnick Reservoir. The 
Flat river performs various little services as it passes 
along, but settles down to hard work when it arrives at 
Washington village. The north branch has its rise in a 
score of little rivulets in the southern part of Glocester, 
which finally unite in the central part of Scituate. The 
united stream then proceeds on its way, with gradually 
augmented power until it unites with the south branch 
at River Point. The extreme northwestern rivulet of 
the north branch flows from the Ponegansett reservoir, 
in Glocester, which in the course of a couple of miles re- 
ceives a slight accession to its flow from a little stream 
that rises near the base of Mount Hygiea.* 

The union of the two principal rivers at River Point, 
undoubtedly gave origin to the name of the village, and 
defied all subsequent attempts to change it. The 
territory, however, was early described as lying 
within " the forks of the rivers," but the village as such, 
became known at an early day as Frozen Point, or as 
some say, Frozen Pint. It was known by the one or the 
other of these uncomfortable names until about the year 
1852. We give the tradition respecting it without 
vouching for its authenticity. Among the mechanics 
who built the first mill, was one thirsty soul, who, one 
night after quitting his work, having purchased a super- 
abundant supply of the article that sometimes cheers, 
and generally inebriates, hid a bottle of it for future use. 
On returning for it next morning he found the contents 
frozen solid ; it was a pint bottle, and was exhibited by 
the owner to his associates, who jestingly designated it 
as the " frozen pint," a term that by an easy transition 
finally became attached to the village. Many years 
afterwards, some of the operatives in the mill attempted 



* Hygiea, or Hygreia, in mytholoo;y, was the Goddess of Health. 
The uaiiie was siveii to the hill by Dv. Soloinonjirown, whose resi- 
dence was near it. Dr Drown was a celebrated pTiywician and botanist, 
and from 1811 to 1831 a professor in Brown University, 



RIVER POINT. 



237 



one fourth of July, to re-christen the place by a more 
euphonious title, but with poor success. Ascending to 
the top of the mill, one of them, in the presence of the 
others poured a demijohn-full of water upon the roof 
and proclaimed in a loud voice " I name thee Greene- 
ville." But though the company owning the village has 
sailed many years under the colors of the " Greene 
Manufacturing Company," the title of Greenville as 
given to the village, was not ratified by popular use, 
many, continued to use it, while others still clung to the 
old name, with which they had become familiar. The 
two names shared the honor between them for many 
years, and necessarily produced some confusion in the 
minds of many, especially of people' living at a distance. 
In 1852, another and more successful attempt was made 
to change the name, in a public celebration, arranged by 
the Eev. Mr. Goodenow, then pastor of the village 
church, the result of which was, that the village was 
thereafter designated as River Point. The new name 
was adopted by the railroad company for specifying their 
depot in the village, and the Post office, when established 
here, was so designated, so that the name bids fair to re- 
main in the future undisturbed. 

The land embraced within the limits of the present 
village appears to have been owned, previous to the year 
1726, by Job Greene, father of Judge Philip Greene. 
Job Greene in this latter year (see page 181) gave to 
his son Philip 278 acres " lying on the northwest of the 
south branch of the Pawtuxet," and subsequently in his 
will " all his land in the forks of the Pawtuxet," &c. 
His will is dated 1744. 

Judge Philip Greene sold to Caleb and Nathan Hatha- 
way,February 20, 1786, "all my land lying and being in the 
forks of the river in Warwick aforesaid; bounded northerly 
on the north branch of Pawtuxet river ; westerly on said 
river; southerly on undivided land belonging to the 
Wecochaconet farms, and easterly on the south branch 
of Pawtuxet river ; containing sixty-six acres and 100 
rods be the same more or less ; also two-fifths and one- 



238 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



fourth of a fifth of the land belonging to the proprietors 
of the farms called the Wecochaconet, lying on the 
north side of the south braTich of said river and yet un- 
divided." In the old plat of the Wecochaconet farms 
before me as I write this, which is a copy of the ancient 
plat made by Joseph Carder, dated, Maj^ 14, 1692, the 
copy having been made by John Warner, Dec. 21, 1721, 
this undivided part is marked as containing 17 acres and 
12 rods, or perhaps 124 rods, the last character not 
being distinct, and may represent a figure or a letter. 
The north line ran nearly across the point made b}'- the 
two rivers. Had the line continued it would have 
touched the north branch at the point where two or 
three small islands are designated on the plat. The 
land within the forks of the rivers to the north-east of 
this tract belonged to the " Natick lands " so called, 
originally. 

Judge Philip Greene's will bears the date of April 7, 
1784. After disposing of his homestead farm, together 
with all his lands " to the eastward of the line called 
the foar mile line, in Warwick " to his son William he 
gave to his grandson Job, son of Christopher, his land 
in Coventry, Avhich he held in partnership with his 
brother Daniel Greene ; also to his grandsons, Job and 
Jeremiah, brother to the said Job, all hi^ lands in the 
west part of Warwick, " bounded southerly parti}'- on 
land of said Job and partly on a highway, westerl}^ on 
land of the said Christo])her, northerly on the Levalley 
land and easterly partly on the south branch of the 
Pawtuxet river and partly on land of the said Job." 
Judge Philip Greene died April 10, 1791, aged 86. 

" In 1812, Elisha Warner, one of the heirs of the Hath- 
aways, sold 40 acres and half of a house to Dr. Stephen 
Harris and Dr. Sylvester Knight, both of Centreville, 
for $1625. The other half of the house and the residue 
of the land were sold by the heirs of Thomas Hathaway 
at eight or nine different periods, from 1822 to 1830." 
The old Hathaway house is still standing, and is the 
fourth from the railroad bridge on the northwest side of 



RIVER POINT. 23» 



the street that runs along by the railroad. It is the 
most ancient house in that vicinity. 

The purchase of the doctors was made with the inten- 
tion of laying aside their professional labors and en- 
gaging in cotton manufacturing. A company was 
formed the following year, consisting of James Greene,. 
Dr. Knight, Dr.- Harris, Resolved Slack and Resolved 
Waterman, and a mill two stories high and sixty-five 
feet long was at once commenced. The compan}^ took 
the title of '* The Greene Manufacturing Company," 
probably out of compliment to one of the firm, who per- 
haps furnished a good share of the capital. Capt. 
James Greene was the father-in-law of Dr. Harris and 
was one of the original owners of the first Ceutreville 
cotton mill, and consequently is supposed to have had 
some knowledge of the business. The cotton manufac- 
turing business at this time was in its infanc}'' in this 
country, and every step taken, was slow and deliberate. 
" The small quantity of machinery started at first by this 
company, viz. : four throstle frames and two mules indi- 
cates with what deliberation these gentlemen advanced. 
The castings were furnished by a distant foundry in 
Halifax, Mass., to which place Dr. Harris was compelled 
to go several times, in his own team, (for tliere were no 
public conveyances) before the newly risen mill could be 
prepared for operations." During the depression of 
1816, this establishment shut down its gates. In 1817, 
Dr. Knight sold his share to Dr. Harris. The mill re- 
sumed operations in 1818, under the exclusive adminis- 
tration of Dr. Harris. About this time he put in eight 
looms. During a freshet in 1821-2 the bulk-head was 
swept away and the dam and the foundation of the mill 
somewhat injured. In 1827, a fire broke out in a build- 
ing near the mill, the upper room of which was used as 
a machine shop, and the lower one as a picker room. 
The damage was not great thougrh one of the workmen 
named Hill was badly burned." 

Dr. Harris made many changes and improvements as 
his pecuniary means increased. The first mill was en- 



240 HISTORY OF WARWICK 

larged and in 1836, he built a stone mill to which an ad- 
dition was subsequently made. Another stone mill was 
built in 1844, and greatly enlarged in 1855. On the 
death of the Doctor his heirs resumed the name of the 
Greene Manufacturing Company, which still designates 
the company. The total fall of water in connection 
with the several mills is about 30 feet. . The number of 
looms in the three mills is about 600. Many changes 
and improvements have been made since the Doctor's 
death, the most important perhaps, being the erection of 
the substantial dam and the addition of an L of 100 feet to 
the oldest mill a few years ago. The present company 
consist of the four surviving children of the Doctor, 
Messrs. Cyrus, Stephen, Caleb R Harris and their half 
sister, Mrs. Henry J. Smith. Individual members of 
the firm are also interested in the cotton mills at Lippitt, 
Anthony and the woolen mill at Centre ville. 

Dr. Harris was born in Johnston, R. I.. Oct. 29, 1786. 
His father's name was Cyrus, "son of Caleb, sou of Henry, 
son of Thomas, son of Thomas, sou of Thomas. " The latter 
person came from England and settled in Salem, whence 
he removed to Providence about the year 1636-7, and was 
a brother of William Harris who figtired prominently in 
early colonial times. On his way to England to attend to 
his affairs, the ship in which William was a passenger was 
captured by a Barbary Corsair, and he and the rest of 
the passengers and crew were taken to Algiers and sold 
as slaves (see page 83). Caleb Harris, the grandfather 
of Dr. Stephen, was for a while a judge of one of the 
courts of Providence county, and a man of acknowledged 
ability. The Doctor received his education at Wood- 
stock, Conn, and Brown University, though the death of 
his father prevented him from completing his course at 
the latter institution. He sttidied medicine at Dart- 
mouth College and with Dr. Fiske, of Scituate, and com- 
menced practice in Johnston about the first of March, 
1808, and left there for Coventry, June 12th, 1809, and 
settled at the place now called Quidnick, boarding in the 
family of Theodore A. Foster, paying <$2,50 per week for 
his board and that of his horse. 



EWER POINT. 241 



The young aspirant for medical knowledge went to 
Dartmouth College on horseback in company with the 
late Dr. Andrew Harris, of Canterbury, Conn., this being 
the chief mode of taking long journies at the time, 
though the "riding chair'.' was used to some extent. 
This ancient vehicle was in shape like a low chair with 
stuffed arms and back, suspended between two wheels 
on leather braces. It was the rude beginning of what 
has since been changed into the sulky, chaise and phae- 
ton. The Doctor was fond of a good horse, and when, 
on his father's death, he found himself possessed of $300 
in money and a " gray mare," as his portion of the 
paternal estate, he doubtless felt himself as completely 
provided for as when, in subsequent years, his worldly 
goods had increased manifold. The gray mare subse- 
quently broke her leg, while under the saddle, bearing 
Dr. Knight, who was using her at one time while ♦ Dr. 
Harris was away, and it was found necessary to take her 
life. Dr. Harris married Eliza Greene, a daughter of 
Capt. James Greene, December 3, 1809. 

He afterwards removed to Centreville, where he be- 
come associated in practice with the late Dr. Sylvester 
Knight, and erected a building near the bridge, which is 
still standing, in which not only drugs and medicines were 
kept for use in their own practice, but were dispensed to 
neighboring physicians, as they were wanted. They also 
kept a supply of groceries, &c. " The winters of 1816, 
and ' 17 and ' 18, he spent in Savannah, Ga., where he and 
Resolved Waterman established a commission house. 
On his return home he resumed manufacturing. He 
was a man of quick apprehension, observing at once 
everything amiss in his mills while passing hurriedly 
through them. It is said, he once put a shaving into an 
imperiect joint, in the presence of a negligent artizan, 
and by this silent reminder administered an effective 
rebuke. During his residence in Centreville he was one 
of the most cheerful and agreeable members of society. 
Mrs. Harris, his wife, died March 23, 1820. In 1822, 
he married Maria, the daughter of Edward Manton, who 

21 



242 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

survived him. The Doctor died October 10, 1858, aged 
72. The tract of land which in 1798 was taxed for $800, 
and for wliich he subsequently P'lid about $2,500, he 
saw taxed with its improvements, before he died, for 
$190,000." Mr. Rousmaniere gives the following es- 
timate of his character: — 

" He W9S a remarkable man in some respects. He was as 
bold in larger affairs as he was cauiious in minutias. His 
promise was slowly given, but the fultillment of it, hovvever 
difficult, was so faithtul as to be proverl)ial. He was practical 
but progressive; cautious but self-contideiit; resolute but never 
infatuated. He was a lover of money but he loved truth and 
integrity as aitl« to character, as well as money. The excite- 
ment of business stimulated all the energies of his body and 
mind, withdrawing the latter from a profession in which he 
must have been distinguished, and taxing the former, which 
was naturally feeble, with incessant occu|)ation. The objects 
of his ambition were commercial and he fully realized them. 
He*was beloved in private and respected in jjublic. He con- 
formed to the ways of the world, and never attempted to set 
up as an intrusive reformer. He commenced in business at 
the same time with other young men. Wliile he was slowly 
tunnelling the high obstacles that seemed to block up the path- 
way to fortune, they ascended the eminence by successive leaps. 
"While he was not heard of for a few years outside of a circle of 
cautious business men, thoy were spoken of, as prodigies of 
mercantile talent and genius. While he plar.ted the seeds of 
his skill in a tract of laud, taxed in 1798 for $800 and for which 
he paid about $2,500, and which now, through his mental 
alchemy is taxed for $190,000, they, in the meantime outlived 
their enchanted prospects, saw the sun of their youth go down 
in clouds in their old age, their wealth scattered like an ex- 
ploded meteor and their influence utterly blighted." 

The venerable Resolved Waterman, now of Provi- 
dence, is the only one of the original firm that com- 
menced the manufacturing business in this village who 
is now living. In early life he was a clerk at Centreville, 
and gradually rose, by his industry and integrity, to a 
position of importance among the business men of the 
State. He was of an affable, genial disposition, upright 
and honest in character, and commanded the respect and 
affection of those with whom he associated. He married 
the daughter of Dea. Cady, of Centerville, by whom he 



KIVER POINT. 243 



had several children. He contributed largely to the 
building of Grace Church, Providence, and was inter- 
ested in other worthy objects. 

To the north of the present railroad depot, across the 
river, is a steep rocky hill-side, somewhat in the form of 
a horse-shoe, that was known in early times as the 
" Horse Pound." The tradition is, that the Indians were 
accustomed to drive the wild horses into the enclosure, 
formed partly by these precipitous bluffs, and thus secure 
them. 

In 1849, a church of the Congregational order was 
formed. The meeting house was erected by Dr. Stephen 
Harris, at his sole expense. The house was built by 
George W. Ham, at a cost, above the foundations, of 
$3,360. A school-house had been standing many years 
previous on the lot adjoining, and still continues in ser- 
vice, though an addition has since been made to it. To 
the south of the school-house stood the armory of the 
Rhode Island Guards, a building that was subsequently 
removed, and by enlargements and improvements, has 
become known as Odd Fellows Hal). The Rhode 
Island Guards were chartered about the year 1844. 
On the fourth of July of that year, an entertainment 
was given to the company, and their invited guests, the 
Kentish Guards, and a large company, assembled in a 
grove near the present railroad depot. The tables were 
set under an arbor at the edge of the grove. The " Dorr 
Rebellion " and the various poUtical questions growing 
out of it, were fresh in the minds of the people, and the 
"liberty men *' and the "law and order party" had 
hardly settled down in acquiescence with the results of 
the struggle. As an illustration of the generally dis- 
turbed condition of the town during the "war," it is 
said that a man by the name of Congdon ran to the 
woods for personal safety, but finally returned to his 
home, saying that the woods were full of people and he 
could'nt get in. The occurrence of our national birth- 
day, and the gathering of so large a company, afforded 
an excellent opj)ortunity to give judicious instructions to 



244 HISTOEY OF WARWICK. 

the opposing parties, and to aid in bringing them again 
into harmony and peace. The orator of the day was 
Hon. Simon Henry Greene, from whose excellent written 
address we make the following extracts : 

" Political improvement must go hand in hand with religious 
regeneration, and must be gradual and slow, inasmuch as 
doubts will often arise, whether any improvement is taking 
place. Taking a retrospective view ot the political institutions of 
our own times, we see that the courses and policy pursued, 
have been extremely devious and vacillating, sometimes ad- 
vancing, and sometimes receding; the people are often vio- 
lently excited, and sometimes on the verge of revolution. Men 
intrusted with political power, and those aspiring to acquire it, 
who cherish and defend fallacious opinions, and who are 
moved by such influences and sugijestions, will act with a cer- 
tain tendency toward the production of mischievous conse- 
quences. It is only in ]iroportion as sound opinions, based on 
true and immutable principles, are acknowledged as of supreme 
authority that mischief is prevented. "We have recently seen 
this idea illustrated iu a striking degree, in our own State of 
of Rhode Island. ***** Freedom itself, is subject to law 
and order, or it becomes licentiousness and disorder. * * * 
Military power should be seldom and judiciously used; rigid, 
prompt, and elfective as it must be, to be valuable, it is dan- 
gerous to provoke its exercise; those entrusted with it should 
ever remember, that its power should be conservative, and 
that its legitimate functions are limited to the maintamauce of 
freedom ot law and order." 

The Pawtuxet Valley Railroad was so far completed 
that it was opened for general business in September, 
1874. The road commences at the depot in this village, 
thence passes through Clyde, Lippitt, Phenix, Harris- 
ville to Hope, a distance of about three and one-fifth 
miles. It was a very expensive road to construct, on ac- 
count of ntunerous bridges, with their costly abut- 
ments. The road at present is leased to the trustees of 
the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Company, who 
equip it, run it, keep it in repair, and pay over to the 
stockholders of the Pawtuxet Valley Railroad Company 
a fixed percentage of the gross profits. 



NATICK. 245 



NATICK. 



Natick, or Natcliick, as it was sometimes spelt in early 
times, is an Indian name, and signifies *' a place of 
hills."* The territory to which it applied at the division 
of lands in 1673, and the names of its early possessors, 
have been given in the account of Phenix village. The 
extensive range of elevated land that shuts in the 
Pawtuxet valley for several miles up-stream from this 
village, suggests not only the appropriateness of the 
term as applied to the tract designated as '• Natick 
lands," in the ancient plat, but also the probability that 
it embraced in the aboriginal mind, a considerable portion 
of territory on the west bank of the north branch of 
the Pawtuxet, reaching as far as Hope village, and 
perhaps the hilly regions beyond. The portion of the 
" Natick lands" included in the present village was on 
the north side of the river. On the south side were 
the Wecochaconet farms, referred to on page 88, the 
northeastern one, embracing some 400 acres, which in- 
cluded all or nearly all the territory on the south side 
of the river now embraced in the present school district 
of this village, fell to the lot of Randall Holden. 

When the Natick lands were assigned by the Warwick 
proprietors to their five associates in 1673, they were un- 
divided. On Dec. 9, 1674, the five owners of the tract 
divided it among themselves, and under this latter date 
we find the following entry on the proprietors' records : 

" We the proprietors of Natick lands that lyeth one ye north 
side of Pawtuxet river in ye colony of Kliode Island and 
Providence Plantations, have laid out five iotts; tint is to say; 
they lye in one range, in manner and forme aforesaide, as 
followeth : the north ends of them bounded by the west lyne 
of the grand purchase of the Mishawomet plantation; and the 
south ends of these Iotts, bounded by the northern most 
branch of Patuxet river: The first lott lyeth near range 



* Drake's'Nortli American Indians, p. 178. 

*21 



246 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

rock, so called, in ye northeast corner, bounded by a small 
black oak; from thence southerly to a small black oak." 

Such land-marks as these two small black oaks were 
not infrequent at the time. They served the purpose, 
probably, and when in the course of time the lands were 
transferred to other parties, other and more permanent 
bounds may have been designated. The original proprie- 
tors of the land on both sides of the river were also posses- 
sors of territory in the earlier settled portions of the town, 
and do not appear to have resided upon these tracts 
themselves, but continued to make their homes in Old 
Warwick. In the course of the following century the 
several farms had been cut up and sold to various par- 
ties. In June, 1736, a number of persons " concerned 
in a tract of land situate in the Grand Purchase of 
Warwick, in that part called Natick, near fifty years past ; 
and likewise others in a tract of land called Wecochaco- 
net," petitioned for a highway to be laid out through 
their lands. The assembly referred the matter to the 
Town Council of Warwick, who were authorized to act 
in the premises. The Council failing to act, the matter 
was again laid before the assembly the following year. 
The Council refused to lay out the highway " unless 
the proprietors of the lands through which the said 
way should go,would be at all the cost and charge of laying 
it out, and allow the land on which the same should be 
laid out, which conditions were not in the power of the 
petitioners to perform." The assembly, after due consid- 
eration, voted " that from the house of Capt. Rice, in 
Warwick, there be a highway laid out in the most near 
and convenient manner to the grist mill, commonly 
called Edmonds' Mill; from thence westerly to the 
southeast corner of the town of Scituate, at or near the 
land of James Colvin." The Town Council of 
Warwick was directed to issue a warrant to the sheriff 
of the county of Providence or his deput}' to summon a 
jury to lay out the road, the charges to be paid out of 
the town treasury. 

A long controversy ensued, and in 1742, the General 



NATICK. 247 

Assembly appointed a committee to examine and report 
upon the matter. This committee reported, recommend- 
ing some changes in the course that had been previously 
suggested, whereupon the Assembly appointed Stephen 
Hopkins, John Rhodes and Wm. Rice, a committee to 
lay out the road according to the foregoing report. 
This last committee reported in March, 1742, presenting 
a plat of the road, when it was voted " that said plat 
and report thereon made, be accepted, and that said 
highway continue as therein laid out forever." 

Without stopping to specify many of the various 
changes that had taken place in the ownership of the 
lands now included within the limits of the village and 
vicinity, let us hasten on to the opening of the present 
century, when Jonathan Ellis, son of Benjamin, Wm. 
Anthony Holden, son of Wm. Holden, and Philip 
Arnold were among the principal owners of the terri- 
tory. Benjamin Ellis lived on the hill on the old road 
leading to Lippitt village. His son Jonathan and seve- 
ral sisters inherited their father's estate. Jonathan lived 
on the hill, sometimes called " Green Hill," in the house 
occupied now by Mrs. Sheldon, and died at an advanced 
age, July 7, 1842. William Holden, previous to the 
year 1771, owned a grist mill on the south side of the 
river, just above the present iron bridge. The old trench 
way may still be seen when the pond is drawn down. 
In 1771, the General Assembly granted him a lottery " to 
raise about £50, to enable him to repair and secure a 
dam across the Pawtuxet river, which had been carried 
away by a flood the previous winter." Wm. Anthony 
Holden, son of the former, lived in the house, which is 
still standing, situated on the east side of the turnpike, 
near by Indigo brook. The brook was so called from 
the circumstance that Harvey Arnold had upon it a 
small building, and made use of the shght water power 
to grind indigo for coloring purposes. Wm. Anthony 
Holden died April 24, 1854. Previous to the year 
1800, there appears to have been no bridge across the 
river at this place, though one was soon after erected, 



248 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and in 1823, a new one, called from its shape the 
" rainbow bridge," was built upon the same site. The 
earliest bridge across the river in this vicinity was the 
one at the lower part of the village in connection with 
the ancient highway already alluded to. 

The first decade of the present century, including the 
two or three years that followed it, was a noted period 
in the history of this town. It was the period of be- 
ginnings in the cotton manufacturing interests. The 
mill at Centreville had been built, and was in successful 
operation previously ; but during the first dozen years 
of the present century, the manufacture of cotton yarn 
by machinery driven by water power, commenced in 
Phenix, Lippitt, and this village. In 1807, four me- 
chanics had estimated the value of the water power at 
Natick, and became so convinced of the feasibility of 
its use in the manufacture of cotton to their advantage, 
that they at once concluded to venture in the specu- 
lation. They were without the necessary capital upon 
which to commence operations, but by judicious man- 
agement, succeeded in enlisting others in their enterprise. 
Their names were Perez Peck, Peter Cushman, John 
AVhite and Joseph Hines. Peter Cushman was sent as 
a messenger to Providence, in search of some adven- 
turous merchant who had money at command, and 
induce him to engage with them in the proposed enter- 
prise. On his way to Providence the messenger met 
Capt. William Potter, and stated his errand. Of the 
persuasive powers of Peter Cushman we have only this 
evidence, that he succeeded on the spot in convincing 
the Captain of the feasibility of his plan, who bade 
him return and inform his associates that he would assist 
them. A company was very soon formed, composed of 
the following persons : Adams & Lothrop, Capt. VVm. 
Potter and Charles Potter, of Providence, Christopher 
and Wm. Rhodes, of Pawtuxet, Jonathan Ellis, of 
Natick, and the four mechanics already mentioned. 
Capt. Potter, in 1795, was one of the owners of the 
Centreville mill. The venerable Perez Peck, of Coventry, 



NATICK. 249 

still vigorous in his old age, and as straight as an Indian 
arrow, is the only one of the number now living, and is 
able to relate with evident accuracy the various impor- 
tant events connected with this early period of his active 
business life. 

The capital of the company amounted to $32,000, 
divided into thirty-two shares ; of which Wm. Potter 
held eight shares ; Adams & Lothrop, eight shares ; 
Christopher and Wm. Ehodes, each four shares ; Chas. 
Potter and Jonathan Ellis, each two shares ; and Perez 
Peck, Joseph Hines, John White and Peter Cushman, 
each one share. The first work of the company was to 
secure possession of the necessary real estate, including 
the water privilege. Jonathan Ellis sold to them in 
the summer of 1807, a tract of five acres on the north 
side of the stream for $178, and George Baker, another 
tract of thirteen acres for $535 80i. " Both of these 
lots were portions of a farm owned several years previous 
by a family of Potters." Wm. Anthon}^ Holden, who 
owned the bluff on the east side of the river, it is said, 
generously gave the portion needed by the company to 
secure the water power, and Philip Arnold made the 
company a present of a "lot near the bridge, as an en- 
couragement and assistance." Philip Arnold's land was 
lower down the river, by the ancient bridge, already al- 
luded to. 

The first mill was built in the autumn of 1807, and 
was about 80 feet long, and became known as the 
Natick Red Mill from its color. It stood between the 
present No. 1 and the trench way. In 1836 this miU 
was removed to the northward on the flat, and converted 
into tenements. It is now known as the " factory 
house." The four mechanics and partners alluded to, 
were put, through the influence of Capt. Potter, into 
the machine shop at Centreville, where they made ma- 
chinery enough to start the Natick Mill ; then they 
removed their tools to the latter establishment, and 
finished the other machines. The Ked Mill was started 
with two throstle machines of eighty-four spindles each. 



250 HISTORY OF WARWICK 

and two mules of 200 spindles each. Jonathan Ellis 
was the first agent. " The company not merely spun 
yarn and warp, but erecting a dye house, they began to 
dye the same before sending it to market." 

" The machinery in the Natlck cotton mill was pro- 
pelled by a tub wheel, (so called at that day,) somewhat 
similar to the iron wheels of the present time. The one 
used here was ten feet in diameter and eighteen inches 
in depth, with floats of corresponding depth, with a curb 
above it of greater depth, through which the water was 
conveyed by a trunk into the wheel. It was made 
whoU}" of wood. This wheel, while it required a larger 
amount of water than the bucket wheel to do the same 
work, yet it possessed the advantage of acquiring the 
desired speed with a less amount of gearing."* 

Various changes took place previous to the year 1815. 
Two of the original stockholders, Perez Peck and Peter 
Cushman, had sold out their stock as early as the summer 
of 1808. In July, 1815, the old organization was super- 
ceded by three companies, one of which was known as the 
Rhodes Natick Company ; another the Natick Turnpike 
Factoiy Company, and the third as Ellis, Lothrop & 



* For an intei-esting article by Perez Peck, of Coventry, (of which 
the "bove is an extract,) relating to the early manufacturing interests 
of Natick and other places, see Annual Report of the " Rhode Island 
Society for the Kncoiiragemeut of Domestic Industrv " for the year 
1805 

In the rei^ort of the above mentioned society for the year 18f)4, a list 
of the cotton mills in this State, and in parts of the adjoining States of 
Massachusetts and Connecticut, with the number of spindles of each, 
in November, 1815, was givun. The list was presented by Samuel 
Greene. The following is the list for Warwick: 

Warwick Manufacturing Company, . . 2,700 spindles. 

Warwick Spinning Mill 780 " 

Proviilence Manufacturing Company 3,200 " 

Rhides, Harris & Smith 1,500 " 

Riceville Manufacturing Company 300 " 

Utter Manufacturing Company 3^0 " 

Manchester Manufacturing Company 1,(100 " 

Lippitt Manufacturing Company 2, .500 " 

Roger Williams Manufacturing Company 1,500 " 

Tiffany Manufacttiring Company 400 " 

Greene 780 " 

Total, 15,610 



NATICK. 251 

Co. In 1821, William Sprague, of Cranston, father of 
the "Old Governor," purchased one mill with forty-two 
looms and 1692 spindles, and another furnished with 
carding and spinning machinery. Both these mills were 
painted red ; the latter stood near the present grist mill, 
and was removed about the year 1830, to its present 
position on the turnpike, and converted into tenements. 
It is the first house on the east side of the turnpike, 
next to the bridge. It has undergone various changes 
since, and lost all outward resemblance of its original 
form. The Messrs. Khodes retained one mill, which 
stood about where the south end of the present number 
one (New Brick,) now stands, and was about 80 feet by 
30 feet, with thirty looms and other necessary machinery 
for making cotton cloth ; also a grist mill and several 
tenement houses. George A. Rhodes, a son of Gen. 
Christopher, was agent until his death, when his father 
took charge until the company sold out to the Spragues. 
" The Messrs. Rhodes continued to own about halt the 
village for about forty-five years, building in the mean- 
time, in 1826. a stone mill 100x44 feet. On Dec. 17, 
1852, they sold out to the Spragues for |55,000." 

Christopher Rhodes was the third son of Robert 
Rhodes, (born April 5, 1743,) and Phebe Smith, (born 
Feb. 14, 1744.) He was born at Pawtuxet, (Warwick,) 
Aug. 16, 1776. For about five or six j^ears previous to 
his coming of age, he followed the coasting business, and 
afterwards commenced business with his father at Paw- 
tuxet. His store was the old homestead, adjoining the 
house where he lived most of his life, and where he died. 
He subsequently, in connection with his brother William, 
engaged in manufacturing, about a mile from Pawtuxet, 
at a place known as Bellefonte Mill, and succeeded so 
well that the brothers extended their business to Natick. 
At a late period the Messrs. Rhodes became the owners 
of manufacturing establishments in Wickford and Albion 
villages. In May, 1809, Mr. Rhodes was elected Briga- 
dier General of the fourth brigade of Rhode Island 
mihtia. From May, 1828, to October, 1831, he repre- 



262 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

sented the town of Warwick in the General Assembly. 
" He interested himself, at an early period, in the substi- 
tution of penitentiary punishments in place of the whip- 
ping post and pillor}^" In October, 1835, he was ap- 
pointed by the General Assembly one of the building 
committee for the erection of the State Prison, and on 
its completion was appointed one of its inspectors, which 
office he held until May, 1847. Zachary Rhodes, the 
earliest ancestor of the family in this country, is men- 
tioned in a letter of Roger Williams to the General Court 
of Magistrates and Deputies of Massachusetts Bay, dated 
15th ninth month, 1655, in which he says: "There are 
but two families which are so obstructive and destructive 
to an equal proceeding of civil order amongst us ; for 
one of these four families, Stephen Arnold desires to be 
uniform with us ; a second, Zachary Rhodes, being in 
the way of dipping, is (potentially) banished by you. 
The others, William Arnold and William Carpenter 
plead that all the obstacle is their offending of your- 
selves." 

Zachary Rhodes, as appears by his will, dated April 
28, 1662, left a wife (Jane) and seven children, viz: 
Zachariah, Malachi, John and Peleg ; and three daugh- 
ters, Elizabeth, Marcy and Rebecca. Malachi had a son 
Malachi, whose son James, born in 1710, was the father 
of Robert, the father of Gen. Christopher Rhodes. Gen. 
Rhodes married Betsey Allen, of South Knigstown. 
Their children were George A., Christopher S., who 
married Olive B., a daughter of Joshua Mauran ; Eliza 
A., who married Hon. John R. Bartlett, for many years 
Secretary of State, and Sarah A., who married Hon. 
Henry B. Anthony, one of the Senators from this State 
in Congress. Gen. Rhodes died in Pawtuxet, May 24, 
1861, and was buried in the old family burial ground at 
Pawtuxet, where the first Zachary Rhodes and his wife 
were buried. The graves of the latter are marked by 
" square piles of flat stones," without inscriptions. Gen. 
Rhodes outlived all his children, his son Christopher S. 
having died January 17, 1861, about four months pre- 
vious to his father. 



NATICK. 253 

The following is a concise statement respecting the 
mills of this village, as they now stand : No. 1, of 
brick, the north end as far as the tower, 166x48 feet, 
built in 1835; south end built in 1859, 153x52 feet, 
comprising the L and tower. It stands on the site of 
the old Rhodes' mill, and contains 21,244 spindles and 
471 looms. No. 2, of stone, built in 18i6, 120x44, with 
an addition on the north end, built in 1858, of 40 feet, 
making the present size 160x44. It contains 7,174 
spindles, and 132 looms. No. 3, built of stone, by Wm. 
Sprague, in 1822, with an addition in 1835, making it 
136x36 feet. It contains 6,784 spindles and 216 looms. 
No. 4, built of brick in 1829-30, with additions in 1856, 
making it. 190x44. It contains 9,280 spindles and 213 
looms. Total of the four mills, 44,604 spindles and 1,032 
looms. Number of employes, 321 males and 395 
females — total 716. During the year ending June 1st, 
1875, these mills made 10,544,920 yards of cloth, which 
were sent to the Cranston Print Works. 

The agents and superintendents of the Spragues in 
this village have been as follows : Wm. Sprague was in 
charge for several years, and was succeeded by his 
brother-in-law, Emanuel Rice ; Henry Dyer, superin- 
tendent from 1849 to 1860; Edwin Potter, 1860 to 
1862; John Allen, Jan. 1, 1862, to the following May; 
Wm. M. Spink was appointed to that position May 23, 
1^64, and has continued until the present time. Mr. 
Albert G. Smith commenced working for the Spragues 
in 1835, making the wood work of the machinery, and 
continued in this capacity and that of draughtsman until 
1859, and at intervals to the present time — facts that 
bear testimony to his skill and faithfulness. 

Though the mill property in this village might be con- 
sidered as somewhat extensive, it is but a fraction of the 
extensive works carried on and owned wholly or in part 
by the Messrs. Amasa & William Sprague, and others 
who are associated with them. The following statement 
made by a Providence correspondent of a New York 
paper, Nov. 7, 1873, and which is supposed to be in the 

22 



254 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

main correct, shows the immense business which they 
have carried on : 

"The firm of A. & W. Sprague Mf'g Co. run near 280,000 
spindles, and 28 printing machines in mills and print works, 
and employ over 10,000 operatives. The?r great print works at 
Cranston employ about 1,200 person?, and can turn out 40,000 
pieces a week. At Natick. they run 42,000 spindles and have 
about 800 hands. At Arctic, they run 29,000 spindles and 
employ ,500 hands. At Quidnick, they have 32,000 spindles 
and 500 hands; at Baltic, Conn , 83,000 spindles and 1,000 
hands; at Central Falls, R. I., 32,000 spindles and near 600 
hands; at Augusta, Me., 34,000 spindles and 700 hands. 
These cotton mills supply their print works with most of the print 
cloths used by them, making about 35,000 pieces a week when 
running on lull time. All were running on half time in the 
early part ot Nov. 1873. At present all are running on full time. 

Besides their mills and print works, they run other great 
enterprises, both within and without the state of Rhode Island. 
In Maine they have vast timber mills, saw mills, and like 
property, in which are employed great numbers of men during 
the lumbering season. In South Carolina, at Columbia, they 
own valuable water power and have a great stock forward. 
They also own much land in Kansas and in Texas. In this 
city (Providence) and Cranston, their real estate improved and 
unimproved, is great in extent and value. They control in 
this city (Providence) the Union Railroad, owning most of the 
street railways, and 100 cars, and employing 300 men and 500 
horses. The capital stock is $600,000, and valuation of prop- 
erty about $800,0li0. Wm. Sprague is President of the Provi- 
dence and New Yoi'k Steamship Co., which has eight 
steamers, employs 500 hands, and owns property valued at 
81,000,000. 1 his company it is claimed will not be embarrassed 
by the Spragues; because, although they are the largest 
stockholders, they own a minority of the stock. A. & W. 
Sprague control in Providence, the Perkins Sheet Iron Co.; 
the R. I. Horse Shoe Co., having 300 hands when full; Sprague 
Mowing Machine Co.; Comstock Stove Foundry, and the 
American Horse Nail Co. Their mill property at a low valua- 
tion, is estimated at S4,200,000, and their print works at 
SI, 000,000. Their pay-roll at times has approached 1^25,000 a 
day. Resides all this property, A. & W. Sprague as partners 
of the firm of Hoyt, Spragues & Co., own the stock of the 
Atlantic Delaine Co., whose mills in Olneyville, R. I., employ 
over 2,000 hands. On this property (said Delaiue Co.,) there 
is an indebtedness of near $4,000,000. 

Owing to the financial embarrassments which culmi- 



NATICK. 255 

nated in the latter part of 1873, the Spragues executed 
a " Deed of Trust " to Zachariah Chaffee, in which 
mention is made that the Spragues are indebted to the 
amount of about $14,000,000. Their property at a fair 
valuation is estimated to be considerably in excess of 
this amount, and it is hoped and expected that they will 
eventually emerge from the heavy financial cloud that at 
present overshadows them. 

William Sprague, father of the first Governor Wm. 
Sprague, started a small mill in Cranston in 1811, and 
also ran a saw mill. He Avas the first of the family in- 
terested in the Natick mills. He died suddenly in the 
year 1836, leaving three sons and two daughters. The 
sons were Amasa, William, who is sometimes called the 
"Old Governor," to distinguish him from another of the 
same name, and Benoni, who still survives and resides 
in Cranston. One of the daughters, Almira, married 
Emanuel Rice, the other married a Mathewson. The 
two sons, Amasa and William, after the death of their 
father, continued the manufacturing interests in which 
their father had be^^n eminently successful. "Amasa 
possessed much shrewdness, adapting himself easily to 
the prejudices of others, displaying great occasional 
energy, blended with a good-natured indolence, and in 
business or politics always gave signs of athletic common 
sense. William's resources were more varied and lofty. 
His mingled boldness and prudence, his practical tact 
and speculative skill, his constant attention to details, 
and his foresight of the most distant results ; his rapid 
penetration into the weak points of men, and his firm 
reliance upon his own impulses ; all these qualities con- 
stituted William Sprague a chieftain in the marts of 
business, certainly with no superior, and with scarcely a 
rival," Gov. Sprague was a politician as well as a manu- 
facturer, and in the course of his life filled several 
important political offices. He was Governor of this 
State from 1838 to 1840, and United States Senator 
from 1842 to 1844, when he resigned to attend to his 
manufacturing interests. He died in 1856, leaving a 



256 HISTORY OF "WARWICK. 

son Byron, and a daughter Susan, who married the late 
Edwin Hoyt, of New York city. 

Amasa, brother of the Governor, was murdered in 
1843. His children are, the present Colonel Amasa 
Sprague, of Cranston, Ex Governor William Sprague, 
Almira, who married Hon. Thomas A. Doyle, mayor of 
Providence, and Mrs. Latham. 

On the death of the Senior' Governor Sprague, the 
business fell into the hands of his son Byron, and his 
two nephews Amasa and William. The former retired 
from the business in 1862, several years previous to his 
death. In 1860, William Sprague, then about thirty 
years of ^ge, was elected Governor of the State, and 
was re-elected the following year. He rendered con- 
spicuous service during the war, and in 1863, was 
elected to the United States Senate, in which position he 
remained until the present year. 

The Natick of to-day, ver}^ favorably compares with 
that of fifty years ago, in many respects. The increase 
in population, the number and appearances of the build- 
ings, both the mills and the dwelling houses, the streets, 
etc., all indicate the prosperity that has attended it. 
The meeting house was built in 1838, by Governor 
Sprague, and was used for awhile by the several de- 
nominations of worshippers living in the village, in rota- 
tion. Here Elder Warner, an old Baptist preacher, was 
wont to hold forth, one sabbath in the month ; Elder 
James Phillips, a Freewill Baptist, whose meeting-house 
was situated several miles distant, near the "High 
Mouse," and which was subsequently removed to Pontiac, 
and recently removed by another church back to the 
Plains, near to where it originally stood, occupied one sab- 
bath a month ; the Methodists and the Baptists also had 
their turns, until it finally fell into the hands of the Bap- 
tists, who have continued its sole occupants for many 
years. The house was dedicated one Thanksgiving day. 
For a while the latter denomination paid |50 a year for 
its use, which w^as generally expended by the Spragues 
in keeping it in repair. Previous to the building of the 



NATICK. 257 

meetinoj-house, reliorious services were held in the old 
school-house, the building just west of the present school- 
house now occupied by Mr. Sheldon H. Tillinghast, and 
at various other places. Mrs. Sally Warner, or " aunt 
Sally," as she was familiarly called, is supposed to have 
started the first sabbath school that was held in the vil- 
lage, in what was known as Cod-fish Hall, over the store 
of the Messrs. Rhodes. Mrs. Warner subsequently re- 
moved her school to the school-house. She was a 
woman of many excellent traits of character, full of 
vivacity, of masculine courage, which was sometimes 
severely tested by those who had but little sympathy for 
her in the good work in which she was engaged. With 
a mind stored with religious anecdotes, she awakened 
the interest of her pupils in the Bible and doubtless kept 
many little feet from wandering into the pathways of sin 
and folly. 

The first building erected for school purposes in the vil- 
lage, was probably the one now standing south of the 
present school-house. It was enlarged to about double 
its original proportions, by Wm. Sprague, in 1838, and 
was used until the building now used was erected in 
1850. The cost of the present school-house was $2,'655 
independent of the lot, which, was given by Mr. Sprague. 
Among the earlier teachers were Wm. B. Spencer, in 
1830-1, Rev. Arthur A. Ross, Rev. J. Brayton, Alanson 
Holly, E. M. Tappan, E. M. Hopkins, M. J. Knight, 
M. W. Grow, and others. The present principal of the 
school, Mr. J. Q. Adams, who has kindly furnished a 
portion of the items connected with the present account 
of this village, has held his position with much credit 
since 1867. 

Among the early physicians that located in this village 
were Dr. Greene, afterwards of East Greenwich, Dr. 
Andros, who was settled here many years and until his 
death, and Dr. Asa Fuller, who purchased the estate and 
lived in the house now owned and occupied by Mrs. 
John D. Spink. 

Previous to the year 1840, the population of the vil- 



2S8. HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



lage was almost exclusively American. The only Irish- 
man living here at that date was Patrick Dunn, who 
married an American woman, and finally removed to 
East Greenwich, where he died. On the passage of the 
railroad through here, the foreign element rapidly in- 
creased, and at present forms a large proportion of the 
population. A Roman Catholic church was built in 
1871-2 for the benefit of the Irish catholics, and about a 
year ago, a chapel was erected of the same order for the 
French people, but which has never been consecrated, 
and will doubtless be used for other purposes, inasmuch 
as the two nationalities have concluded to unite in wor- 
ship at the other church. 

To the north of the village, about a mile distant, on 
land formerly owned by the Baker family, but now in 
possession of the Spragues, is a stream of water, that 
forms, at certain seasons of the year, one of the finest 
cascades in New England. The stream is a branch of 
the Moshanticut, one of the feeders of the Pawtuxet, 
and in the summer time a person may easily step across 
it But in the spring time, when the heavy rains and 
melted snow swell its volume, and there is no call for its 
diversion to irrigate the lands that lie to the southward, 
as is the case during the summer months, the waters re- 
joice in their liberty and devote themselves to a grand 
exhibition of watery gymnastics. The fall in the course 
of quarter of a mile, is probably not less than a hundred 
feet perpendicular height, for the most part over a pre- 
cipitous, scraggy ledge of rocks, a portion of the distance 
being at au angle of some sixty degrees. The stream 
after crossing the highway, moves quietly along for 
some distance, until it comes near the precipice, then 
gradually increases in speed, now turning at right angles 
at some impassible barrier, or over-leaping it, until it 
takes its principal leap and tumbles down the precipice, 
churned to a foam and casting its spray on every side. 
Then with a variety of ceremonious bows to the right 
and to the left, with pigmy waterfalls here and there in 
its course, it arrives at the valley below, and quietly 



PONTIAC. 259 

pursues the remainder of its way to the Shanticut. The 
view from the diff is beautiful and picturesque aside 
from the cascade, but with this in addition affords a bit 
of natural scenery hardly less pleasing than the falls of 
the Ammonusuc. 



PONTIAC. 

No one of the villages on the Pawtuxet river and its 
tributaries has been designated by so many different 
names in the course of its history, as the one we have 
now come to. The changes began during the aborigi- 
nal period. The territory in the vicinity, and probably 
including the site of the present village, was known as 
early as the year 1662, as " Papepieset, alias Toceunck," 
(see page 57.) The latter name is variously spelt in 
the town records, and seems to have been applied to the 
Indian village then existing in this vicinity, as well as 
to the meadow lands along the river. Papepieset, or 
Toskiounke, as it was sometimes called, makes a very 
good mouthfull of language, and either term is prefera- 
ble to those that were subsequently taken to designate 
the place, except the present one, which we regard 
with favor. The signification of those Indian names I 
have not been able to learn. 

The earliest English designation of the place, or at 
least a very early one, was the " Great Weir." Previous 
to the erection of the mill dams, different kinds of fish, 
as the salmon, shad, and alewives or herring, migrated 
from the ocean to the inland ponds in the early part of 
the season, and deposited their spawn, and in the fall 
returned with their progeny to the sea. The natural 
falls in the river were favorite places where the anglers 
were inclined to station themselves at the proper sea- 
sons, and with lines and nets make prey of the finny tribes 
as they proceeded on their annual journeys. The de- 
mand for these fish inclined some of the more ingenious 
and avaricious to erect " weirs," or water-traps, in the 



260 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

river, by which large quantities of fish could be taken. 
These weirs " consisted of a wooden trellis-work, armed 
with sharp pointed sticks, and sunk upon rocks one or 
two feet below the suiface of the stream, and as the 
middle of the river by being filled with large stones, 
was rendered too shallow for the upward passage of the 
salmon and shad, they plunged by necessity into the 
deeper water near the shore, where these concealed 
traps received them with a fatal welcome."* When the 
dams of the cotton mills were erected, the fish took 
offence, and regarded the innovation as aimed against 
their long established rights, and finally abandoned 
their old nurseries. For awhile the rights of the fish 
were partially protected by laws, which provided that 
sluice ways should be kept open in the spring time, in 
order that the fish might freely pass to the inland 
waters. But this proved unsatisfactory to them, and 
the fish concluded if they could not have their full rights 
they would seek more favorable haunts, which they 
accordingly did. The " weir " was then of no longer 
use and soon ceased to properly designate the place, and 
became like the play of Hamlet, with Hamlet left out. 
In the course of time a bridge was erected across the 
river, and like a drowning man, who is said to " catch at 
a straw," the people rechristened the place as " the 
great bridge near the weir." Then a prominent man in 
the vicinity became associated with the structure, and 
the place was known t;s " Capt. Benjamin Greene's 
bridge."! Capt. Greene subsequently lost this honor, 
and another man took the laurels, and it w^as called 
"Arnold's bridge." J This continued until John H. (Jlark 

* The weir was below the present dam, and the centre of the river 
had been so filled up with stones as to form an island. 

t Capt. IJenjamin Greene was fauiiliaily known as "Tobacco Ben. 
Greene," to distinguish liim from another person in town of the same 
name, and also by reason of his raising laige quantities of tobacco. 

J Benjamin Arnold was the grandson of Capr. Uenjamin Greene, and 
inherited the homestead on both sides of the river. He was the first 
Arnold who lived in this vicinity. Frum him the homestead descended 
to his son. Judge Dutee Arnoltl The estate is now owned by Dutee 
Arnold, Esq., grandson of the Judge. 



PONTIAC. 261 



purchased the water power, and the village assumed the 
name of Clarksville, which continued in use until the 
present manufacturing company purchased the property, 
and gave it its present title of Pontiac. Pontiac was 
the name of a celebrated Indian chief, and was styled 
"The King and Lord of all the Northwest."* Mr. 
Clark, while out in Michigan, saw the picture of the old 
chief, Pontiac, and on his return had it engraved, to be 
used as a label on his goods. The name gradually be- 
came attached to the village after he left, though 
many continued to call it " Arnold's Bridge." Though 
these several later changes in the name of the village 
indicates a series of changes in the real estate comprising 
the village proper, the land in the vicinity was chiefly 
owned by a few families, prominent among them being 
the Staffords and Greenes and their descendants. The 
following paragraphs, are from Mr. Rousmaniere's inter- 
esting letters : 

"The progenitor of the Staffords, was named Thomas, a 
native of England, an early settler in Plymouth Colony, a citi- 
zen of Newport in 1638, subsequently a sojourner in Provi- 
dence, finally, in 1652, an efficient inhabitant of Old Warwick. In 
1655, he bought the house and land of John Townsend, front- 
ing on the common, the lot reaching southerly to the brook, 
whose waters flowed past the grist mill that had been erected 
five years before. Thomas Stafford bequeathed an independent 
estate to his three sons, Samuel, Thomas and Joseph. Samuel 
married Mercy, the daughter of Stukely Westcott, one of the 
earliest settlers of the town; Joseph married Sarah Holden, 
daughter of Randall Holden, another veteran worthy of that 
period. Joseph Stafford, youngest son of Thomas, was ad- 
mitted a freeman in Warwick in 1677, and four years after 
settled near the " great weir," on the dividing line between 
Cranston and VVarwick, building his mansion house in both 
tovvns, according to the survey that was made many years 
afterwards, when Cranston was set off from Providence. His 
descendants have altered the old domicile into a commodious 
two-story mansion. He bought land from the old proprietors, 
from the Pawtuxet river, westward to Moshanticut brook. 



* See Parkman's book, entitled "The Conspiracy of Pontiac and the 
Indian War after the conquest of Canada." 



262 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



As he came into this region at the close of Philip's war, it is 
presumed that the tract was a wilderness, and for the first time 
subjected to the touch of culture. He was an accumulator of 
property. His children were Stukely, Joseph, John, Margaret, 
Elizabeth, Mary and Frances; the latter married Benjamin 
Congdon. 

" The large tract, south of the upper farm of the Stafford's, 
was owned by Thomas Greene, youngest son ot John Greene, 
senior. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Rufus Barton, 
by whom he had seven children. His oldest son, Thomas, who 
was born August 14, 1662, Avas drowned during a thunder 
storm in the winter of 1698 or 1699, while returning in a small 
boat from Newport to his residence in Potowomut. The 
youngest son of Nathaniel, who was born April 10, 1679, re- 
moved to Boston. The oldest son of Nathaniel was named 
Rufus; one of the daughters of the latter, Sarah, married 
Thomas Hickling; Catherine, daughter of Thomas and Sarah 
Hickling, became the wife of Judge Prescott, of Massachu- 
setts, and mother of that brilliant author and historian, Wil- 
liam H. Prescott. 

" The descendants of Thomas Greene, have been styled the 
*' Stone Castle Greenes," from the fact that he dwelt in the 
massive stone garrison house in Old Warwick, built by John 
Smith, in 1649. 

"Allusion has been made to Thomas Greene, who was 
drowned in 1698. His only son John, inherited a large estate 
at Potowomut. John became a convert to the views of George 
Pox, and married Deborah Carr, of Jamestown. Judge Caleb 
Greene, of Coventry, was one of his sons. Another, Kichard, 
was an Episcopalian, and lived in princely style upon the pat- 
rimonial estate at Potowomut, and trom the prodigality of his 
habits, and partly perhaps from the fact thai he was a royalist 
during the revolution, was styled King Richard. Being af- 
flicted with a cancer, it is said, he went to Newport with a flag 
of truce for advice trom the Bi'itish army surgeons, where his 
death was occasioned by an overdose of cicuta. The farm of 
650 acres in extent was subsequently jDurchased by her father 
for Mrs. Thomas P. Ives, by whose descendants it has been 
much improved and beautified. 

Let us return to the village of Pontiac, or as it was then 
termed, the " great weir." Thomas Greene, the elder, among 
whose descendants were Rowland Greene, a preacher of the 
Society of Friends, and John Wickes Greene, Esq., of Old 
Warwick, gave his land in this vicinity to his second sou Benja- 
min, who was born January 10, 1665. He was captain in the 
colonial forces, and held at different times various civic offices. 
He had a tanner}' upon his estate, and one of the large stones 
used in breaking bark is now at the front door of his family 



PONTIAC. 263 



homestead. He married Susanna, daughter of Randall Holden. 
During a high fre? het in the Pawtuxet river it is said he saved 
his wife by taking her from the house in a boat. He soon 
after took that house to pieces and removed it to a more elevated 
location. The latter house still remains on the Arnold farm. 
It is more than 140 years old, according to tradition, having 
been erected before the death of his daughter Margaret, in 
January, 1730. Margaret was the wife of Pardon Tiliinghast, 
of Providence. Catherine, his second daughter, married 
Governor William Greene, senior. 

"Captain Benjamin Greene, son of Thomas, died, Februay 22, 
1757, aged 91, his landed domain, which was quite extensive, 
was distributed among his daughters and their sons. One of 
the Katick farms near Phenix village, subsequently owned by 
the late Mr. George Burlingame, was bequeathed to his grand- 
son, the second Governor William Greene. His homestead, 
and the land adjoining, he gave to his grandson Benjamin 
Arnold, son of Philii), who lived near Apponaug. Benjamin 
Arnoldimarried one of the daughters of John Rice, who lived 
between Apponaug and Greenwich. He died, February 25, 
1799, aged 77. He possessed a large landed estate, which was 
distributed in several towns, and which he bequeathed as fol- 
lows:* To Benjamin, a farm in Coventry; to John Ricef and 
Philip, farms in Cranston; to Stephen, land in Warwick; to 
Henry, the farm on the south side of the Pawtuxet; to Dutee, the 
homestead farm on the opposite side of the river; and to 
Thomas,land in Warwick. Henry kept a tavern on the south side 
of the river for many years. The late Major Hughes, father of 
John L. Hughes, of Providence, it is said, entered this public 
house one night on his return from the Indian wars in the 
western States, soon after the close of the revolution. Mrs. 
Arnold asked him how he passed over the river: the Major re- 
plied: "I rode over the bridge; the horse picked his way, as 
it was so very dark I could not see the path." Mrs. A. replied 
in a very excited tone of voice, "You must be mistaken, 
Major, for all the planking was taken off the bridge to-day in 
in order to repair it." Major H. who was not a man to surren- 
der his opinions to any one, reiterated in the most positive 
manner that he had so crossed it, and asking for a lantern, he 
groped his way back to the bridge, and ascertained that as the 



* Beujaniiu Arnold's farm was about a mile above Washington vil- 
lage. His son Thomas started the acid works, which have continued 
to be operated by his heirs. F. 

t John Rioe Arnold's farm is the present State Farm. It afterwards 
passed into the hands of Wm. A. Howard, who was brought up in the 
family of John liice Arnold ; then Dea. Wm. Suow bought it of How- 
ard's heirs, and a few years ago sold it to the State. F. 



264 HISTORY OF WAKWICK. 

planks had all been removed, his horse must have walked over 
on one of the string pieces ! Mi*. Hughes then resided near 
Centreville." 

The house in which Mr. Hughes lived, and which 
he probably built, is the one now standing next to 
the Quidnick railroad bridge, and now owned and 
occupied by Mr. Casey B. Tyler. 

The old tavern on the south side of the river, was one 
of the most noted public houses outside of the city of 
Providence, until the Providence and New London 
turnpike was built, and was kept by Henry Arnold, son 
of Benjamin, who was a grandson of Capt. Benjamin 
Greene. The old road on which it was situated, was 
laid out in 1729, and was the only thoroughfare from 
Providence into the country in this direction. When 
the turnpike was put through it was left out of the main 
line of travel, and a new tavern was built to the west- 
ward on the turnpike, which became known as the Gor- 
ton Arnold Tavern, or " Gorton Arnold Stand." Gorton 
Arnold was a son of Phihp, who was brother of Judge 
Dutee Arnold. A few years ago the tavern was con- 
sumed by fire and a new one erected, which is now 
standing. 

Judge Dutee Arnold was one of the most conspicuous 
men of the place, and was well-known throughout the 
State for more than half a century. In June, 1817, he 
was elected an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. 
He took his seat on the bench in May, 1818, and con- 
tinued in office until 1822. He had three children, 
Horatio, Walter, who died young, and Marcy, who re- 
cently died unmarried. 

The site of the village in the year 1800, was in pos- 
session of Gideon Mumford, who was drowned in the 
river near his house. The land and water power was 
subsequently purchased by Henry Arnold, who in con- 
nection with Dutee Arnold, erected a saw and grist mill 
in 1810. Horatio Arnold subsequently carried on wool 
carding and cotton spinning in another mill. This 
building was also used at different periods for the man- 



PONTIAC. 265 



ufacture of coarse woolen cloth.* In February, 1827, 
Rice A. Brown, Jonathan Knowles and Samuel Fenner 
bought the land and two-thirds of the water-power of 
the Arnolds for $J,250. They run it for about two 
years, having twenty looms, on which they wove coarse 
sheetings. In 1829, during the general depression in 
manufacturing operation, they failed, and the property 
was sold at public auction, in 1830, to John H. Clark. 
Two years afterwards, Clark bought of Dutee Arnold 
the other one-third of the water-power, with the saw 
mill and grist mill, and in 1832, built a stone factory, in 
which he run seventy-five looms. In 1834, the bleachery 
was built fitted to bleach 2,250 pounds per day. George 
T. Spicer, now^of Providence, of the firm of Spicers & 
Peckham, was superintendent. Mr. Spicer married the 
grand-daughter of Judge Dutee Arnold. From 1822 to 
1829, Mr. Spicer, who has kindly furnished many of the 
items of this account, lived at Phenix, having charge 
a portion of the time of the machine shop. He after- 
wards removed to Providence, and in 1830, went to 
Pontiac, where he was connected with the mills, having 
full charge of the concern for ten years previous to 1845. 
He afterwards removed to Providence, where he took 
the general charge of the High Street Furnace Company, 
for five years, and then bought in with Dutee Arnold, 
and built the furnace now known as Spicers & Peckham's 
Furnace. 

John H. Clark was born in Elizabethtown, N. J., 
April 1, 1789. His father Dr. John Clark was a de- 
scendant of Dr. John Clark, the friend and companion 
of Roger Williams, the faithful servant of the colony, 
who mortgaged his property to raise the means of main- 
taining himself in London, where he was defending its 
interest and pleading its cause. He was the founder 



* Gideon Mumford lived in a house that stood jiast opposite the pre- 
sent store. After his death the house -was used as a place for calen- 
dering, by Horatio Arnold and James Simmons. The calender was 
afterwards removed to Apponaug, where it was nsed but for a short 
time. 

23 



266 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and first pastor of the First Baptist Church of Newport. 
On his mother's side, John H. Clark was descended 
from Esek Hopkins, tlie first Commodore of the American 
Navy. He was a graduate of Brown University, of the 
class of 1809. He afterwards studied law, which he soon 
relinquished to engage in business as agent of the Steam 
Cotton Mill in Providence, belonging to Benjamin and 
Charles Dyer. Before selling out at Pontiac, he built the 
Clinton mill at Woonsocket. Mr. Clark was a repre- 
sentative in the General Assembly from Providence, and 
in October, 1846, was elected a Senator in Congress for 
the term commencing March 4, 1847, in place of James 
F. Simmons. He is said to have been a man who 
" loved his friends and hated his enemies. He never 
deceived either. His honesty was never questioned, 
and no man doubted his sincerity. No man doubted 
that what he said was true, that what he promised he 
would perform. He was a man of remarkably genial 
temper, abounded in anecdote and pleasant reminiscences, 
political and personal, and possessed a fund of humor 
that made him a delightful companion." His latest 
residence in Warwick was near East Greenwich, on the 
fine estate now owned and occupied by Dutee Arnold, 
Esq., who formerly lived at Pontiac. Mr. Clark died in 
Providence, in 1872. 

On Oct. 4, 1850, Mr. Clark sold out the estate to 
Zachariah Parker and Robert Knight for 140,000. In 
1852, the premises passed into the hands of the present 
owners, the Messrs. B. B. & R. Knight, who changed 
the name of the place to Pontiac. Various changes and 
impruvements have been made in the mills, as well as in 
the general appearance of the village since it has been 
in possession of the Knights. In 1858, they had so en- 
larged the bleachery that they w^ere able to finish five 
tons daily. The cotton mill then contained 124 looms 
and 5,000 spindles for the manufacture of cotton cloth. 
The old bleach works were burned April 15, 1870, and 
a new building was immediately erected and in operation 
Sept. 1st, 1870. The new building is of stone, lB0x40, 



PONTIAC. 267 

arranged with all the modern improvements for carrying 
on the bleachery business, and capable of turning off 
fifteen tons of goods per day. The old stone mill (of 
which a view is given in the engraving with the old 
bleachery,) was torn down and the handsome new 
brick building erected upon its site in 1863. The di- 
mensions of the new mill are 200x66, with an L , 90x40. 
Its capacity is 20,300 spindles. The fall of water is 
about seven feet. The goods manufactured are fine 
sheetings, known by the popular name of the Fruit of the 
Loom. In 1866, the company built a large brick store, 
with an upper room nicely fitted up for religious ser- 
vices, and in 1874, a store-house of stone, 157x58 feet, 
and five stories high. The present capable superintend- 
ent, Mr. S. N. Bourne, has been in immediate charge of 
the works since June, 1866. In addition to the exten- 
sive works in this village, the Messrs. Knight own the 
mills at White Rock and Dor^^geville, and are also the 
principal owners at Hebron and Manchaug. 

In 1868, the new public highway leading from this 
village to Natick, was laid out, and in 1 873, the company 
obtained a charter from the General Assembly to lay 
rails along side this road from the Hartford Railroad to 
their village, for carrying freight and passengers. The 
rails have been laid, and railway communication estab- 
lished between the village and the rest of the world. A 
private telegraph is in operation between their office 
in this village and their headquarters in Providence. 

From this village the Pawtuxet passes onward to the 
sea, several miles distant, before entering which, and just 
as it is about to mingle its waters with those of the Narra- 
gansett, it allows a portion' of them to be drawn away 
at the Pettaconsett pumping station to meet the wants 
of a hundred thousand people in Providence, and the 
remainder to pei'form a final service for the manufac- 
turer at Pawtuxet village. By this time we think, it de- 
serves its liberty, and has established its claim to be a 
hardworking and benevolent river. Along its course, 
from its many sources, it has been attended by the hum 



268 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

of machinery, and its merits, as an auxiliary to human 
industry, though unsung by the poet, is attested by the 
score of thriving villages that have developed along its 
banks. But even the poet has been awakened to its 
merits and tuned his lyre as he contemplates it in its 
final efforts to assuage the thirst and guard from destruc- 
tion the homes of a neighboring city. The following 
appreciative lines were recently published in the Provi- 
dence Journal : 

PAWTUXET. 

River of beauty tliat peacefully flows. 
Winding its bright way through forest and naead, 

Turns from its shadows of dreamy repose, 
Answers the call of humanity's need. 

Leaving the valley of sunlight and calm, 
Home of the wild flower and haunt of the bird, 

Bearing to thirsty lips coolness and balm, 
Swift to the dusty town comes at our word. 

Health for the drooping and comfort for all, 

Let our glad thanks for thee echo again; 
River of bounty that flows at our call, 

Bear on thy bosom our grateful refrain. 

Soft flowing river, j-et mighty in power. 

Guarding our homes from destruction and death, 

Rising in calmness tlirough terrors dark hour. 
Quenching in silence the fire-demon's breath. 

Joyful our welcome, oh, gloi'ious river. 
Hushed be all discord, forgotten all strife, 

Strong in thy purity flow on for ever. 
Emblem so bright of the river of Life. 
Providence, August, 1875. 



hill's grove. 

To the east of Pontiac, a couple of miles on the Ston- 
ington railroad, a thriving little village has sprung up 
within the past ten years, in connection with the es- 
tablishment of a new branch of industry. The place was 
evidently named for the president of the company doing 
business here, and who is said to be the owner of a 
tract of land in this vicinity, of about 800 acres in ex- 



hill's gkove. 269 



tent. The Rhode Island Malleable Iron Works started 
in 1867, by a company, of which Thomas J. Hill is Pres- 
ident and Treasurer, Smith Quimby, Superintendent 
and Samnel W. Kilvert, Agent. They erected a fine 
brick edifice with a front of about 247 feet by 60 feet 
with an L, used as a moulding room 165 by 60. When 
in full operation it employs 100 hands. Its business is • 
the manufacture of all kinds of malleable iron castings. 
The stockholders and its several officers have continued 
the same from the beginning. 

The process by which these castings are produced 
may be briefly stated. In the melting process, the iron 
does not come in direct contact with the coal as in ordi- 
nary furnaces, used for the production of common cast- 
ings, but is in a receptacle by itself, where the refining 
process is carried on, by carefully skimming off the 
dross as it collects upon the surface, leaving only the 
pure metal for the moulders ladle. This separation of 
the iron from the coal in the process of melting, incurs 
an increased expenditure of coal, about a ton of the lat- 
ter being required to bring a ton of iion to the desired 
point. After cooling, the castings are closely packed in 
iron boxes, iron scales being used in packing ; the boxes 
are then placed in a furnace, where they are subjected 
to a certain degree of heat, for the space of nine days, 
for the purpose of annealing them. The carbon is by 
this time thrown off and they are found to be as tough 
and pliable as wrought iron. A multitude of different 
articles are thus manufactured, of all sizes and shapes, 
from garden rakes and coffee mills to the larger pieces 
used in connection with cotton and woolen machinery. 
They use principally for these purposes, the kind of iron 
known to the craft as the cold blast charcoal iron. A 
short time after the works were started, a tasteful depot 
was erected, costing about $3000, of which the railway 
company paid half, and a school house twOi stories high, 
the upper part of which was fitted up as a hall, to be 
used for religious meetings. A brick building, 320 feet 
by 72 feet, three stories high with a basement, is now, 

*23 



270- 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



being erected near the iron works, and is designed as a 
cotton mill. The mill is to be run by steam, and is 
under the sole management of Mr. Hill. The village is 
not large, but is on the increase, several tasteful dwell- 
ings having been erected within the past year or two, 
and is entitled to a place in the sisterhood of enterprising 
villages in the town of Warwick. 



WARWICK IN" THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



The following is a list of persons who entered the army, 
from the town of Warwick, during the war of the Southern 
Kebellion, as given in the Adjutant General's Annual Keport, 
for thtt year 1865. The report of the Adjutant General con- 
tains the names of 23,000 soldiers credited to the State of 
ilhode Island, and is a folio of more than 800 pages and is sup • 
posed to contain an accurate and complete list of all who were 
connected with the army as soldiers, during the war. The 
following list contains only the names of those who gave their 
residence as Warwick at the lime of enlisting. By reason of 
promotions, transfers to other regiments, or re-enlistments, 
several of the names appear more than once in the following 
record: — 

FIRST REGIMENT, RHODE ISLAND DETACHED MILITIA. 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OP MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

(ialliger, William May 2, 1861. 

Morris, Jobu F. " 

Aldrich, Alanson " 

Arnold, Henry A. " 

Warren, William " 
Barrows, Byron C. " 

Murray, Jaines T. " 

Rhodes, Robert " 

Fisher, Charles H. " 

Rhodes, Benj. C. " 

Knight, Wm. A. May 30, 1861. 
Rhodes, Joseph A. May 2, 1861. 
Webb, Thomas C. 
Clark, James 
Johnson, Jas. B,' 
Leach, Owen L. 
Rhodes, CO. 
Arnold, John R. 



REMARKS. 



Mustered out of service Aug. 2, 1861. 



Honorably discharged on surgeon's 

certificate, July 23, 1861. 
Mustered out of service, Aug. 2, 1861. 



Greene, Tho's L. 



Corporal ; July 8, 1861, mustered out 

Aug. 2, 18lU. 
Mustered out Aug. 2, 1861. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



271 



NAME AND BANK. DATE OP MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Sloe urn, James B. May 2, 1861. 
Andrews, Rob't H. " 
Trask, JohnF. " 

Weaver, John H. " 



Mustered out Aug. 2, 1851. 
" Aug. 1, 1861. 



SECOND REGIMENT, RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



CHAPLAIN. 

Beugless, Jno. D. Sep. 24, 1863. 



1st LIEUT. 

English, Sam'l J. June 6, 1861. 
Collins, Moses W. " 

2d, LIEUT. 

Gleason, Chas. W. " 

Bates, Clark E. Mar. 23, 1863. 

SERGEANT. 

Dawley, Wm. June 5, 1861. 
Weaver, Jas. F. June 6, 1861. 

CORPORAL. 

Wells, John June 5, 1861. 

Warner, A. L. " 

Carter, Albert L. " 

Lewis, Joseph " 

Greene, Francis C. " 



MUSICIANS. 

Tourgee, Wm. H. " 

Tentiant, Jno. H. " 

Arnold, Virginius H. June 6, '61. 
Jeaks, Wm. I. " 

Greene, Elisha June 19, 1861. 

WAGONER. 

Bates, Geo. W. June 5, 1861. 
Gallagher, Dennis " 

PRIVATES. 

Bellows, Josiah W. Oct. 25, '61. 
Boyling, Peter June 5, 1861. 
Black, Samuel '* 

Briggs, Chas. E. Sept. 3, 1862. 

Corey, John A. June 6, 1861. 
Cady, Joel E. " 

Carrol, James " 

Church, Benj. J. " 

Coville, David H. " 

Cambell, Patrick Oct. 15, 1861. 

Crosby , Samuel June 5, 1861. 
Crosby, John J. " 

Donnelly, Peter " 

Fenner, John " 



Wounded in arm, in battle Wilder- 
ness, May 5, '64;must'dout,June 
17, '64; now chaplain U. S. Navy. 

Capt. Co. B. Feb. 22, 1863. 
Resigned, Dec. 27, 1862. 

Trans, to new organization ; 1st Lieut. 
Died July 18, '63, of wounds receiv'd 
at battle of Salem Heights. 

Disch'd on surg. certif. Mar. 20, 1863. 
" " July 3, 1861. 

" " Aug. 26, 1861. 

" " Aug 19, 186L 

Mns'ered out, June 17, 18fi4. 
Disch'd on surg. certif. Mar. 8, 1863. 
Wounded in leg, at battle Bull Run, 

July 21, '61; prisoner at Richmond, 

6 mos. disch'd on surg. certificate. 

Disch'd Aug. 26, '62, on surg. certif. 
Wounded, July 21, '61, at b. Bull Run. 
Mustered out, Jun*- 17, 1864. 
Transferred to 5th U. S. A. Feb. 4,'63. 
Disch'd on surg. certif. Jan. 1, 1862. 

Re-enlisted. Dec. 26, 1863. 
Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 

Trans, to Co. A, new organization. 
Deserted, Dec. 4, 1862. 
Mustered out of service, June 17,1P64. 
Wounded, battle Salem Heights, May 

3, '63; musfd out, July 1, 1865. 
Discharged, June 19, 1861. 
Disch'd Oct 17, '62, on surg. certif. 
Deserted, Oct. 18, 1862. 
Mustered out of service, Feb. 16, 1865. 
Disch'd Aug. 18, '62, on surg. certif. 
Trans, to Co. A, new organization. 
Disch'd Aug 26, '61, on surg. certif. 
Re-enlisted, Dec. 26, '63, trans, to Co. 

A, new organization. 
Mustered out of service, June 17, '64. 



272 



HISTORY OF WAKWICK 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OP MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Fiunegan, Owen June 5, 1861. 
Flinn, Thomas " 

Funt, Thomas " 



Gorton, Benj. " 

Gleason, Chas. W. " 

Grimes, Thomas " 

Henry, Asa B, " 
Hill, John D. 

Jordan, J as. B. June 5, 1861. 

Lawton, Warren C. " 



Lawton, Ambrose W. " 

Lewis, Job " 

Levalley, John '' 

Makee, Alfred O. " 

Moon, Sanford E. " 

Mahoney, John " 

McKay, James . " 

Miner, Chris. June 6, 1861< 

Nicholas, Rich'd " 



Northup, \Vm. H. 
Rice, Joel 



Roberts, Henry H. " 

Spencer. John " 

Searle, Edw'd H. June 5, 1861, 
Sheldon, Henry E. " 



Sisson, Nathan A. 
Sprague, George 
Sweet, John E. 
Tanner, Edwin 
Tourgee, Alonzo 

Warren, Wm. H. 

"Whelan, Peter 

White, Wm. 



June 6, 1861, 



Whipple, N. B. June 28, 1861 
Wilson, Elliot B. June 26, 1861. 



Deserted, April 18, 1861. 
Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 
Wounded, battle of Bull Run, July 
21,1861, discharged Oct. 11,1861, 
on surgeon's certif. 
Disch'd Dec, 31, '63, on surg'n's certif. 
Re enlisted Dec. 26, '63, 2d Lieut. Co. 

B, July 16, 1864. 
Disch'd April 26, '62, on surg. certif. 
Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 
Wound'd, battle Bull Run, July 21, '61, 

trausf. to Co. A, neworgarjization. 
Killed, battle Seven Pines, June, 25,'62. 
Re-enlisted Dec. 26, '63, wounded at 
battle of Wilderness, May 12, '64, 
transfer'd to Co A, new org'nza'n. 
Killed, battle Wilderness, May 12, '64. 
Mustered out, June 17, 18(54. 
Disch'd March 27, '62, on surg. certif, 
Disch'd Nov. 29, '62, on surg. certif. 
Sergeant, supposed murrally wound- 
ed. May 3, '63, in b. Saleui Heights. 
Transfer'd to western Gunboat, flo- 
tilla, Feb. 14, ]8(;2. 
Re enlisted, Dec. 2(), '63; transferred 

to Co. A, new organization. 
Died, Nov. 18, '62; at Wash., 1). C. 
Wounded in side, at battle Wilder- 
ness, May 18, '6V: — slightly ; cor- 
poral; niust'd out, June 17, 1864. 
Disch'd, Mar 24, '62, on surg. certif. 
Corp'l, Jan. 17, '62, supposed mortal- 
ly wounded battle Salem Heights, 
May 3, 18()3. 
Di^c'd JSep. 2ii, ' 61, on surg. certif. 
Died June '28, 1862 at New York. 
Corp'l, "iisc'd Mar. 24, '62, on s. certi. 
Re enlisted, Dec. 26, '63; transferred to 

Co. A, new organization. 
Serg't, mustered out. June 17, 1864. 
Deserted, Dec. 12, 1861. 
Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 
Corporal; mustered out.June 17,1864. 
Died May 8, '6», near Spottsylvauia, 

Virginia. 

Wounded, battle Bull Run, July 21, '61 ; 

discli'd Sep. 23, '62, on surg. certi. 

Wounded in the head, battle Salem 

Heights, May 3, '63; serg't; re-en- 

lisieil Jan. 26, '64; transferred to 

Co. A, new orgainzation. 

Confined by sentence of G. C. M. 

November 15, 18i)2. 
DisCh,d Sep. 26, '61, on surg. certif. 
Re enlisted, Dec. 26, '63; transferred 
to Co. A, new organization. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



273 



NA.MB AND RANK. DATE OP MTTSTBR. 
PRIVATES. 

Wilson, Lewis B. June 29, 1861. 



Wilbur, Frank G. 
Goff, John 

Mowry, Chris. 
Harris, Aliuon D. 
Lowther, George 
Vicory, Sam'l T. 
McMabon, Peter 
Baker, Lewis W. 
Black mm, W. O. 
Greene, Giles E. 
Tennaut, C. R. 
Bradford, Alonzo 



Jan. 21, 1862. 
Jan. 4, 1802, 
Dec. 20, 1861. 
Oct. 14, 1861. 
Aug. 1, 1861. 
July 9, 1863. 
Aug. 1, 1863. 
June 6, 1861. 
Feb. 26. 1862. 
June 6, 1861. 



Andrews, John T. " 

Brien, Dennis June 5, 1861, 

Binns, Robert '• 



Blanchard, Wm. " 

Blancbard, Chas. H. " 

Bvroa, Patrick " 

Brown, Oliver P. " 

Brown. Tho's W. " 

Curry, John " 

Card, Wm. M. H. " 

Dunn, Geo. B. " 

Dyer, James Aug. 21, 1861. 

Gardiuer, Jeffrey June 6, 1861. 
Gorton. Martin V. B. " 

Gerrard, John June 5, 1861. 

Greene, Ezra " 

Greene, Daniel June 6, 1861. 

Greene, Nathan'l C. June 19, '61. 
Holmes, Albert C. June 6, 1861. 
Holden, Jobn " 

Jerard, John " 

Kenyon, Lowell H. " 

King, James A. " 

Knight, Wm. H. June 6, 1861. 
Mathewson, Geo. H. " 
McNiff, James " 

Nicholas, Lyman June 5, 1861. 
Nicholas, Dan'l W. June 6, '61. 
Pickford. Jno. N. " 

Potter, Wm. H. " 

Bay, Thomas " 



Corp'l, June 25,'62; killed battle Wil- 
derness, May 5, 1864. 

Mustered out. June 17, 1864. 

Trans, to Battery C, 1st Light Artil- 
lery, Dec. 10, 1863, 

Discharged. 

Discharged. 

Trans, to Co. B, new organization. 

Discharged, Mar. 21, 1862. 

Trans, to Co. B, new organization. 

Trans, to Co. C, new oi-ganization. 

Disch,, Feb. 9, ,62, on surg. certif. 

Mustered out, Feb. 27, 1865. 

Pi'isoner at Ricliinond, after battle of 
Bull Run, July 21, 18(il: released 
from Salisbury, N. C.May 22,'62; 
discharged on surgeon, s certif. 

Disch. Sep. 30, 1861, on surg. certif. 

Deserted, June 19, 1861. 

Corporal, April 1, 1862; re-enlisted, 
Jan. 26, 1864: wounded in left leg, 
at b. Wil(lerness,May6,'64: trans- 
ferred to Co. C, new organization. 

Disch'd, Sep. 1, '61, on surg. certif. 

Mustered out, June 17, 1864, 



Musician; re-enlisted, Dec. 26, 1863; 

trans, to Co. C, new organization. 
Dich'd, Sep. 30,' 61, on surg. certif. 
Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 
Transf. to Co C, new organization. 
Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 
Disch'd, April 4, '63, on surg. certif. 
Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 
Disch'd, Jan. 29, '()3, on surg. certif. 
Mustered out of service, June 17. '64. 

(died at Camp Sumter, Aug. 1864.) 
Disch'd, Feh. 23, '(i3, on surg. certif. 
Deserted, Oct. 12, 1862. 
" Feb. 3, 1862. 

Trans, to V. E. C, Feb. 15, 1864, 

Corpr'l; wounded, b. Salem Heights, 
May 3, '63, ; reenlis'd, Dec. 26, '63, 
transf. to Co. C, new organization. 

Mustered oui, June 17, 1864. 

Deserted, Jan. 5, 1863. 
" Dec. 5, 1862. 

Disch'd, June 19, '61, on surg. certif. 

Corp'l; mustered out, June 17, 1864. 

Disch'd, Dec. 3, '62, on surg. certif. 

Deserted, Dec.9, 1862. 
" Dec. 5, 1862. 



274 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OP MUSTER. 



RE HARKS. 



PRIVATES. 

Simmons, Jno. B. June 5, ISrtl. 
Sweet, Benoni June 6, 1861. 

Graves, Sam'l W. June 5, 1861. 



Greene, Albert June 6, 1861. 
Hunt, Wm. H. June 5, 1861. 
West, Lorin S. H. July 8, 1863. 



Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 

Serg't; re-enlisted. Dec. '26, '63; trans. 
to Co. C, new organization. 

Wounded, Bull Run, July 21, '61 ; pris- 
oner, Richmond, July 24, '61; re- 
leased from Salisburv, N. C, May 
22, '62; killed, May 12, '64, battle 
Wildernes.s. 

Discharged, July 20, 1862. 

Mustered out, June 17, 1864. 

Transf. to Co. A, new organization. 



SECOND REGIMENT, R. T. VOL., (RE-ORGANIZED). 



2d LIEUT. 

McKay, Jas. 



March 29, 1865. 



SERGEANT. 

Wheelan, Peter Jan. 26, 1864. 

Sweet, Benoni Dec. 26, 1863. 

COKPORAIi. 

Campbell, Pat'k Oct. 16. 1861. 
Law ton, SVarren C. Dec. 26, '63. 

King, Jas. A. " 

Hagan, Dan'l H. Sep. 15, 1864. 

Rowlev, Wm. H. " 

Miller, "^ Henry R. Dec. 17, 1864. 



MUSICIAN. 

Curry, John 
Arnold, V. A. 

WAGONER. 

Bates, Geo. W. 



Wounded at Petersburg. Apr. 6, 1865; 
mustered out. July 13, 1865. 

In Slaterlee hospital, Phila., Pa. 
Wounded, severely, at Petersburg, 
Va. ; ser'tmaj., March 29, 1865. 

Mustered out, Oct. 19, 1864. 

Serg't, Nov. 8, '64; mustered out, July 

13, 1865. 
Serg't, Dec. 16, '64; died. May 15, '65, 

in hospital at Philadelphia. 
Mustered out, June 20, 1865. 

Wounded, Apr. 2, 1865, Petersburg, 
Va, ; mustered out, July 6, 1865. 

Mustered out, July 13, 1865. 



King , Benoni A. Feb. 27, 1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Bellows, Josiah W. Oct. 24, '61. 
Crosely, John J. Dec. 26, 1863. 
Sheldon, Henry E. Dec. 25, '63. 
Lowther, Geo. Dec. 23, 1861. 
Wilson, Elliot E. Dec. 26, 1863. 
West, Lorin A. July 8, 1863. 
Baker, Lewis W. July 9, 1863. 
McMahou, Peter Aug. 1, 1861. 
Binus, Robert June2'>, 1864. 
Blackman, W. O. Aug. 1, 1863. 
Dyer, James " 

Crawford, Francis D.Oct. 31, '64. 
Holmes, Geo. O. '' 

Hathaway, Edwin C. " 
Sherman, Elisha S. " 



Sheldon. Geo. G. 



Dec. 26, 1863. 
J an. 18, 1865. 



Dec. 26, 186.3. Mustered out, July 13, 1865. 



Mustered out, Nov. 4, 1864. 
" July 13, 1865. 

it it 

Dec. 21, 1864. 
Mustered out, July 13, 1865. 

Absent in hospital. 
Mustered out, Nov. 21, 1864. 
Disch'd on surg. certif. Feb. 17, 1865. 
Disch'd, Jan. 11, 1865, on surg. certif. 
Mustered out, Aug. 1, 1865. 
Julv 13, 1865. 
" June 20, 1865. 

Wounded, Apr. 6, '65, near Petersb'g, 
Va. ;corp'l; mustered out, June 
20, 1865. 

Mustered out, June 20, 1865. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



£75 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OF MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Crandall, Geo. R Dec. 10, 1864 
Cahoone, Alonzo " 

McElroy, Patrick " 



REMARKS. 



Mustered out July 13, 1865. 



" Wounded at Petersburg, Va., April 2, 

'05; mustered out, July 6, 1805. 
Johnson, Almon W. Jan. 11, '05. Mustered out, July 13, 1805. 
Slocum, Henry Jan. 21 , 1865. Died, Feb. 4, '05, at ISTew Haven, Conn. 
Wells, James D. Jan. 16, 1805. Mustered out, July 13, 1865. 



FOURTH REGIMENT, R. I. VOLUNTEERS. 

ASST. SURGEON. 

Dedrick, Albert C. Oct. 2, 1862. Resigned and honorably discharged. 

for disability, Nov. 8, 1864. 

CORPORAL. 

Coggshall, Thos. J.Oct., 30, 1861. 

Collins, Rhodes T. W.Oct. 30. '61. Disch. July 1, 1863, on surg. certif. 

Martin, Edward " Sergeant; mustered out, Oct. 15, 1864. 

PRIVATES 

Finnegan, Hugh July 7, 1862. Wounded,battle Antietam,Sep.l7,'62; 

wounded in head, before Peters- 
burg, July 30, 1804. 
Hodson, Robert Oct. 30, 1861. Re enlisted, Jan. 5, 1864. 
Lockerin, James " Mustered out, Oct. 15, 1864. 

Shakeshaft, Geo. Aug. 15, '62, Wounded in side, Petersburg, Va., 

July 30, '64: died in New York,in 

hospital, Aug. 18, '04, of wounds. 

Burlingame, Benj.W. Aug. 7, '62, Corporal; wouuded, Sep. 17, 1862, at 

battle Antietam; wounded, Dec. 
13, 1802, at battle Fredricksburg. 
Disch'd, Feb. 27, 1803, on surg. certif. 
Discharged. Nov. 3, 1802. 
Discharged, Dec. 14, 1861. 
Transferred to V. R. C, Feb. 15, 1864. 
Disch'd, Sep. 25, 1803, on surg. certif. 
Transferred to Co. K, 
Corporal; mustered out, Oct. 15, 1804. 



Capwell, Jno. W. Oct. 30, 1861. 
Cbappell, Geo. W. " 

Cooke, Henry N. " 

Gardiner, Andrew J. " 
Corey, John W. " 

Gardiner, Warren D. " 
Johnson, Rich'd M. " 
Johuson, Stephen " 

Leary, John " 

McKee, Andrew July 17, 1862. 
Madison, Jas. N. Oct. 20, 1861. 
Caswell, Wm. A. " 

Duffy, Michael " 

Johuson, John T. " 

McShane, John Aug. 29, 1862. 

Pike, Ephraim Oct. 30, 1861. 
Tillinghast. Chas. E. " 
Tanner, Edw. B. " 

Whitman, Reuben A. " 
Abbott, Abial J. N. " 

Andrews, Geo. E. " 

Trimball, John A. " 



Re-enlisted, Feb. 1, 1864. 

Killed, Oct. 21, 1862, at Sandy Hook. 

Mustered out, Oct. 13, 1864. 
" Aug. 11, 1862. 

Re eulisted, June 5, 1864. 

Disch., June 2, 1863, on surg. certif. 

Wouuded, Dec. 13, 1862, at Fredricks- 
burg; deserted, Dec. 20, 1862. 

Killed, Sep. 17,'62, at b. Antietam. 

Re enlisted, Feb. 1, 1804. 

Trans, to V. R. C, Match 31, 1864. 

Re-enlisted, Jan. 5, 1864. 

Died, Sep. 17, 1863,of wounds received 
at Antietam. 

Mustered out, Oct. 15, 1804. 

Wounded in hand, July 30,1864, at Pe- 
tersburg, Va. ; mustered out, Oct. 
15, 1864. 



276 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OP MUSTEK. 
PRIVATES. 

Browne 11, Dan'l W.Oct. 30,1861. 
Crosby, Samuel " 

Campbell, Bern'd " 



Hewes, John 
Duffy, John 

Hopkins, Henry V. 



Lawton, Benj. F. 
Lewis, Benoiii 
Marone, Mathew 

Negle, David 
Sunderland, Wm. N. 
Whaylen, James 
Arnold, Oliver H. 
Coggshall, Thos. J. 



Cook, Constant C. Aug. 7, 1862. 



Chase, Joseph Oct. 30, 1861. 
Gorton, Charles A. " 



Slocum, Charles F. 
Thurston, Rich'dH. 



Disch. Sep. 20, 1852, on surg. certif. 

Disch., Sep. 2(i, 1862, on surg. certif. 

Woi.nded, Antietam; disch., Dec. 3, 
18{)2, on surgeon's certificate. 

Mustered out, Oct. 15, 1864. 

Wounded at Antietam, mustered out, 
Oct. 15, 1864. 

Corporal; wounded, Sep. 17, 1862, at 
Antietam ; died, Oct. 26,1862, of ty- 
phoid fever. 

Mustered out. Oct. 15, 1864. 

Corporal; " 

Wounded, Sep. 17, 1862, at Antietam; 
disch. May 22, 1863,on surg.certif. 

Disch.. Sep. 22, 1862, on surg.certif. 

Re-enlisted, Feb. 1, 1864. 

Disch., Sep. 7, 1862, on surg. certif. 

Mustered out, Oct. 15, 1864. 

Re-enlisted, Feb. 1, 1864, corporal; 
missing in action July 30, 1864; re- 
turned July 30, 1864, 

Deserted, Sep. 17, 1862; apprehended 
in U. S. service. May 1, 1864, at 
New Orleans. 

Mustered out, Oct. 15, 1864. 

Corp'l ; sergeant: taken prisoner July 
30, 1864, at Petersburg, Va. ; died, 
Nov. 22, 1864, at Salisbury, N. C. 

Re-enlisted, Feb. 1864. 

Sergt. wounded, July 30, 1864, in leg, 
at Petersburg. 



NINTH REGIMENT, R. I, VOLUNTEERS. 



ASST. SURGEON 

King, Henry 

CAPTAIN. 

Bovven, John A. 

1st LIEUT. 

Spink, Geo. A. 
Holden, Randall 

2d LIEUT. 

Potter, Wm. H. 
Howard, Rich'd W, 

SERGEANT. 

Potter, John C. 
Nichols, Wm. C. 
Remington, Horace 
Williams, Crawford R. 
Hill, Benjamin 
Davis, Jeffrey G. 
Babson, Henry P. 
At wood, Ambrose L. 

CORPORAL. 

Whipple, Nathan B. 
Arnold, Lewis G., Jr. 



May 26, 1862. Mustered out, September 2, 1862. 



WABWICK SOLDIERS. 277 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OF MUSTER. BEMARKS. 

CORPORAL. 

Devlin, John May 26, 1862. Mustered out September 2, 1862. 

Gilmore, George " " " 

Remington, John " " " 

O'Donnell, Hugh " " " 

Weaver, JR. " " " 

Tabor, Hollis, Jr. • Died August 13, 1862, in hospital, of 

inflammation of the brain. 
Hill. Wm. F. Mustered out September 2, 1862. 

Read, James R. " '« «' 

Bushee, James " " " 

Lanphear, Geo. T. " " " 

MUSICIANS. 

Tourgee, Geo. R. " " " 

Woodmansie, H. H. " " " 

Spencer. David " " " 

Baxter, Daniel " " '• 

WAGONER. 

Roberts, Henry H. " " " 

PRIVATES. 

Gardiner, Ferdinand A.'' " •' 

Arnold, Albert *' " " 

Bennett. Allen B. " " " 

Baker, Win. H. '* " «« 

Brown, Peter " " " 

Bowen, Samuel E. " " " 

Bigelow, Joseph " " " 

Browning, Wm. B., " " " 
Provost, Harrison May 26, 1862. In hospital at Washington and not 

since heard from. 

Peagot, Henry " Mustered out Seotember 2, 1862. 

Prew, Charles H. " " " " 

Quigley, John " " " 

Roberts, Lewis " " " 

Reagan, Patrick " " " 

Randall, Samuel J. " " " 

Rice, Ambrose " " " 

Smith, Francis *' " •« 

Sherman, Elisha O. " " " 

Sherman, Elisha " *' " 

Spencer, William C. " " " 

Spencer, Lewis T. '• " " 

Spellacy, Michael " " " 

Spencer, George A. " " " 

Tucker, Wm. H. •' " «< 

Tathroe, Edward " " «« 

Tibbitts, Joshua W. " " «« 

Wilson, John " " " 

Wilbur, Oliver T. " " «« 

Wood, Alonzo G. " " «« 

Youngs, Warren " '• " 

Bicknell, Jesse " " " 

Ball, Nathaniel G. " " «« 

Baker, Edward P. " " '< 

Carew, John " " " 

Cady, Daniel W. " " «« 

Carroll, Peter " " •« 

24 



278 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



NAUE AND BANK, DATE OP MUSTKR. BEMABKS. 
PRIVATES. 

Diman, Wm. H. May 26, 1862. Mustered out September 2, 1862. 

Dawley, Geo. W. " 

Fanning, Jauues F. " " " 

Farmer, Thomas " " " 

Franklin, Cornelius " " '* 

Gardiner, Charles C. " " " 

Goodness, Peter " " " 

Hunt, Wm. " " " 

Hews, Thomas " " " 

Jenkins, Zeph. " " " 

Londue, Zeb. " " " 

Lindsey, Thomas " " " 

McAlancey, James " " " 

Morris, Charles " " " 

Miller, Joseph " " " 

McMann, Patrick " " " 

McDonnell, James " " " 

McArthur, John " " " 

Nichols, Henry " " " 

Noon, Michael " " " 

Northup, Wra. H. " " " 

O'Donnell, Felix " " " 

Owen, Frederick " " " 

O'Niell, Wm. " " " 

O'Neill, John " " " 

Piatt, Kobert " '^ " 

Barney, Daniel " " " 

Ballon, Charles " " " 

Barber, Wilcox " '« " 

Brown, William T. " 

Barber, Lillibridge " " " 

Ballon, Henry W. " " " 

Crandall, AUVed " " " 

Congdon, George R. " " •' 

Clarke, Oliver H. " " " 

Cottrell, Benj. H. " " " 

Cooke, Henry N. " " " 

Graves, Samuel " " *' 

Harvey Edward, " " " 

Jenckes, Samuel C. " " " 

Jackson, Alfred A. " " " 

Locke, Mosier '' '' " 

Johnson, George C. " " " 

Morris, Bernhard " " '" 

Northup. Rufus H. " " " 

Nichols, Geo. A. " " " 

Owen, Thomas " " " 

Phelon, Ray B. " •' " 

Price, William " " " 

Price, Henrv W. " " •' 

Place, Elisba " " " 

Pollard, Geo. H. W. " " 

Rice, Wm. H. " " " 

Sherman, Simon G. " " " 

Stone, Alonzo P. " Discharged. 

Spencer, George W. " Mustered out September 2, 1862, 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



279 



NAME AHD RAJfK. DATE OP MUSTER. 



REMARKS. 



PRIVATES. 

Spencer, Otis 
Searle, Nelson 
Tew, B. Greene 
Taylor, William 
Townsend, B. W. 
Vaughan, B. Edgbert 
Wilbur, Edward J. 
Weaver, Jerome 
Browne, George B. 
Hewes, James 



May 26, 1862. Mustered out September 2, 1862. 



TENTH REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



Mustered out September 1, 1862. 



PRIVATES. 

Arnold, Sam'l A. W. May 26, '62. 

Browning, John G. " 

Harris, Wm. A. " " " 

Hubbard, Wm. H. " " " 

Wickes, Reuben " " " 

Sheldon, Geo. F. " " " 

Robinson, Henry W. " " " 

SEVENTH REGIMENT, RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



CHAPLAIN. 

Howard, Harris Sept. 6, 1862. 

CAPTAIN. 

Remington, James H. " 



FIRST LIETTT. 

Perkins, Benj. G. Nov. 16, 1863. 



SERGEANT. 

Potter, H. W. 
Trask, John F 
Spencer, James B 

Makee, Frank J. 

CORPORAIj. 

Smith, Chas. H. 
Wood, Wm. T. 

Bowman, George 



PRIVATES. 

Tourgee, Samuel W. 



Budlong, Benjamin 



Sept. 6, 1862. 



Resigned, June 3, 1863. 

Wounded severely at the battle of 
Fredricksburg, Va., Dec. 16, 1862; 
discharged May 2, 1863, on surg. 
-certificate. 

Resigned and honorably discharged 
on account of disability, July 20, 
1864. 

Deserted, April 11, 1863. 
Transferred to V. R. C, Jan. 1.5, 1864. 
Died, March 6, 1863, at Newport 

News, Va. 
Discharged Feb. 5, 1863. 

Mustered out, Julv 7, 1865. 
Sergeant. Died, Sept. 10, 1862, at 

Nicholasville, Ky. 
Transferred to new organization, Oct. 
21, 1864. 

Wagoner. Wounded, battle Fred- 
ricksburg, Va., Dec. 13, 1862; 
transferred to Co. A, new organ-" 
ization, Oct. 21, 1864. 

Slightly wounded, Dec. 13, 1862, at 
battle Fredricksburg, Va. ; died 
Jan. 10, 1863, at Washington of 
wounds. 



280 



HISTORY OF WAKWICK. 



NAHE AND RANK. DATK OP UXTSTEB. 
PRIVATES. 

Eldridge, James E. Sept. 6,1862. 
Harrington, Albert " 



Blanchard, John B. " 

Carr, Clark " 

Taylor, John H. " 

Sniff, Daniel " 

Smith, Joseph " 

Aiistin, Joseph " 

Briggs, Geo. W. " 

Covin, Geo. W. Jan. 26, 1864. 
Cornell, Martin Sept. 6, 1862. 

Gradwell, James *' 

Greene, George D. " 

Hodson, James '* 



Hopkins, Arnold 
Mowry, Benjamin 

Rice, John £. 



Sweet, James "W. 
Sweet, John G. 
Sweet, Charles E. 
Taylor, James J. 



Taylor, Stephen P. 
Thurston, Caleb 

"Wilson, Wm. R. 



Transferred to Co. C, new organiza- 
tion, Oct 21, 1864. 

Wounded slightly in leg, August 9, 
1864; transferred to Co. C, Oct. 
21, 1864. 

Transferred to Co. E, new organiza- 
tion, Oct 21, 1864. 

Discharged March 12, 1863, on Sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Transferred to Co. F, new organiza- 
tion, Oct. 21, 1864. 

Kilhid Dec. 13, 18ti2, at battle of 
Fredricksburg, Va. 

Killed Dec. 13, 1862, at battle of 
Fredricksburg, Va. 

Corporal. Wounded slightly in head, 
June 16, 1864, at Petersburg; 
transferred to Co. H, new organi- 
zation. Oct. 21, 1864. 

Transferred new organization, Oct. 
21, 1864. 

Transferred new organization, Oct. 
21, 1864. 

Wounded in head, May 14, 1864, at 
Spottsylvania, C. H. ; died Jiine 
14, 1864, at Annapolis, Md. 

Wounded in head, May 14, 1864, at 
Spottsylvania, C. H. ; transferred 
to Co. H, new organization, Oct. 
21, 1864. 

Transferred to Co. H, new organiza- 

« tion, Oct. 21, 1864. 

Mortally wounded, June 6, 1864, in 
skirmish at Cold Harbor; died 
same da v. 

Transferred to V. R. C, Jan. 15, 1864. 

Transferred to Co. H, new organiza- 
tion, Oct. 28, 1864, 

Wounded slightly iu hand, July 13, 
1863, at Jackson, Miss. ; killed 
Mav :.8, 1864, at Spottsylvania, 
C. H. 

Discharged, Dec. 9, 1862, on Surgeon's 
certificate. 

Discharged, Oct. 25, 1862, on Sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Transferred to Co. H, new organiza- 
tion, Oct. 21, 1864. 
Wounded, June 8, 1864, at Peters- 
burg; transferred to Co. H, new 
organization, Oct. 21, 1864. 
Died, April 12. 1864, at Annapolis.Md. 
Discharged, March 1, 1864 on Sur- 
geon's certificate. 
Discharged, March 19, 1863, on Sur- 
geon's certificate. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



281 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OP MUSTER. 



PRIVATES. 

Arnold, Israel B. 



Sept. 6, 1862. Corporal. Wounded slightly at Fred- 
ricksburg; transferred to Co. I, 
new organization, Oct. 21, 1864. 

Gidney, Charles P. " Transferred to Co. I, new organiza- 

tion, Oct. 21, 1864. 

Mott, Caleb, Jr. " Wounded severely, Dec. 13, 1862 

Fredricksburg; transferred to V. 
R. C, Nov. 3, 1803. 

Roberts, Henry A. " Wounded slightly in arm,, June 29, 

1864, at Petersburg, Va. 

SEVENTH REGIMENT. R. I. VOLUNTEERS, (REORGANIZED.) 

1st LIEUT. 

McKay, John, Jr. Dec. 21, 1864. Mustered out, June 9, 1865. 

CORPORAL. 

Burlingame, Benj.W. Aug. 7, '62. " '* 

Austin, Joseph Sept. 6, 1862. " " 

Arnold, Israel B. " " June 16, 1865. 

WAGONER. 

Tourgee, Samuel W. " " June 9, 1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Bowman, George " " " 

Slocum, Chas. F. Feb. 1, 1864. '• July 13, 1865. 

Eldridge, James E. Sept. 6. 1862. " June 9, 1865. 

Harrington, Albert " " " 

Owen, Thomas T. Jan. 24, 1865. 

Duffee, Michael Jan. 5, 1864. 

Sullivan, Michael Nov. 8, 1862. 

Sunderland, VVm. N. Feb. 1,'64. 

Tillinghast, Chas. E. " 

Whitman, Reu. A. Jan. 5, 1864. 

Blanchard, John B. Sept. 6, 1862. 

Taylor, John H. " 

Finnegan, Hugh July 7, 1862. " " 

Hudson, Robert Jan. 5, 1864. " July 13, 1863. 

Leary, John Feb. 9, 1864. " " 



Deserted, March 11, 1865. 
Mustered out, July 13, 1865. 



Died, March 21, 1865, in hospital. 
Mustered out, June 9, 1865. 



Deserted, January 23, 18B5. 
Mustered out, July 13, 1865. 
Mustered out, June 9, 1865. 



Briggs, Geo. W. " 

Coviile, Geo. W. Jan. 26, 1864. 
Gradwell, James Sept. 6, 1862. 

Greene, Geo. D. " " " 

Mowry, Benjamin " " •' 

Sweet, Charles E. " " " 

Tavlor, James J. " " " 

Gibuey, Charles P. " " " 

Roberts, Henry A. " " " 

ELEVEN"TH REGIMENT, RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 

CORPORAL. 

Simmonds, Edwin R.Oct. 1, 1862,Mu3tered out, July 13, 1363. 

PRIVATES 

Austin, Stephen A. " " " 

Jennison, Thomas " " " 

Stone, Daniel J. " 

Cornell, Joseph H. " 

*24 



Not on October roll. 



282 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Mustered out, July 13, 1863. 



NAMB AND RANK. DATE OF MUSTBR. 
PRIVATES. 

Cooper, Henry Oct, 1, 1862. 

Cox, John W. 

Wing, John " •' " 

Greene, Albert R. 

Greenman, Walter P. " " " 

TWELFTH REGIMENT, R. I. VOL., REORGANIZED. 



ASST. SURGEON. 

King, Henry Oct. 20, 1862. 

CAPTAIN. 

Spink, George A. Oct. 13, 1862. 

2d LIEUT. 

Weaver, John H. April 26, 1863, 

SERGEANT. 

Slocum, Albert A. Oct. 13,1862. 
Weaver, Jonathan R. " 

CORPORAL. 

DeVolv, Warren N. " 



Resigned, May 13, 1863. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 



Transferred to Co. G, Jan. 2, 1863; dis- 
charged.June l,1862,on surg.certif. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 
Sergeant; mustered out, July 29, '63. 



Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 



Webb, Thomas C. " 

Cornell, Joseph P. " 

MUSICIANS. 

Kiernan, Thomas " 

Andrews, John F. Oct. 24, 1862. 

Baxter, Daniel " " " 

Tourgee, George B.Oct. 13, 1862. Died, May 1, 1863, near Richmond.Ky. 

PRIVATES . 

Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 
Wounded at Fredricksburg, Va., 

mustered out, July 29, 1863. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 
Died, Jan. 16, 1863, at Camp, near 

Falmouth Va. 
Died, Jan. 15, 1863, of Wounds, at 

Portsmouth Grove Hospital. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 
Wounded slightly, Dec. 13, 1863, at 

Fredricksburg, Va. ; mustered out, 

July 29, 1863. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 



Blanchard, Rufus R. " 

Brown, Francis " 

Hudson, Wm. M. " 

Wood, Geo. W. Oct. 13, 1862. 

Whitman, Hiram " 

Remington, Henry A. " 

Whitman, Jasper P. " 



Clark, James 
Mattison, Lewis J. 
Wilbur, Edward J. 
Franklin, Geo. W. 
Mitchell, Rich'd F. 
Higgins, Chris. 

Dickinson, Geo. 
Essex, James 
Tew, Elisha G. 
Tibbitts, Horace W. 
Tyler, Henry O. 
Cameron, Donald 
Whipple, Lowrey 
Bowman, Chas. E. 



Killed accidentally, Oct. 23, 1862. 

Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 
it (I 

Discharged, March 16, 1863, on surg. 

certificate. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 



Discharged, 
certif. 



July 11, 1863, on surg. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



283 



NAME AND BANK. DATE OF MUSTER. 



PRIVATES. 

Brown, Wm. D. Oct, 13, 1862. 
Cady, JohuG. 

Cady, Calvin L. " 

Cady, Daniel W. " 

Cook, Thomas " 

Hutter, Thomas " 

Matteson, Geo. E. " 

Northup, Wm. H. " 

Place, Win. H. H, " 

Remington, H. A. " 

Smith, Francis " 



Howard, John D. 



Mustered out, July 29. 1863. 
Discharged, March 31, 1863, on surg. 

Deserted, Oct. 21, 1862. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 

Died, April 6, 1863. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 



Transferred, Nov. 28, 1862, to Co. A. 
Wounded slightly, Dec. 13, 1862, at 

Fredricksburg, Va. ; mustered 

out, July 29, 1863. 
Wounded severely in ankle, Dec. 13, 

1862. at Fredricksburg; mustered 

out, July 29, 1863. 
Mustered out, July 29, 1863. 



Phillips, Wm. R. " 

HOSPITAL GUARDS, RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 

PRIVATES. 

Johnson, Alfred A. Dec. 6, 1862. Corporal; mustered out, Aug. 26, '65. 
Locke, Mark " Mustered out, Aug. 26, 1865. 

FIRST REGIMENT, R. I. CAVALRY. 

SERGEANT. 

Rhodes, Jos. A. Dec, 14, 1861. 



Smith, Wm. L. March 3, 1862. 

CORPORAL. 

Bates, Willard H. Dec. 14, 1861. 
Gorton, Ray G. March 3, 1861. 
Chappell, Wm. A. Dec. 14, 1861, 

MUSICIAN. 

Fish, Kinder " 

PRIVATES. 

West, Geo. W. " 

West, Hiram " 



Barbour, Ezra S. " 

Dowd, Oliver " 

Fairbanks, Manfred Mar. 10,'62. 
Kettelle, James Dec. 14, 1861. 

McKee, Wm. H. Dec. 14, 1861. 
Northup, Geo. S. " 

Peirce, Preserved R. " 

Spencer, Eben " 

Tourgee, Wm. H. " 



Discharged to accept commission, 

September 1, 1863. 
Discharged, January 5, 1864. 

Sergeant; re-enlisted, Jan. 5, 1864. 
Re-enlisted, Feb. 6, 1864. 
Discharged, May 19, 1862, on surg. 
certificate. 

Discharged, June 18, 1862. 

Taken prisoner, Dec. 1, 1863. 

Taken prisoner, Oct.l2, 1863; prisoner, 

March 31, 1864; died, in Ander- 

sonville, Ga., June 15, 1864. 

Discharged. 
(( 

Discharged, Oct. 7, 1862, on surg. cer. 
Taken prisoner, Oct. 12, 1863; died, 

June 6,1864, at Andersonville,Ga. 
Re-enlisted, Jan. 5, 1864. 
Corporal; taken prisoner, June 18, '63. 

paroled, mustered out.Oct.lO, '64. 
Discharged, Aug. 5, 1863, on surg. 

certificate. 
Discharged, Aug. 10, 1863, on surg. 

certificate. 
Taken prisoner, June 18, 1863; exch'd; 

re-enlisted, Jan. 5, 1864. 



284 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



NAME AND RANK. DATS OF MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Atwood, Nathan Dec. 14, 1861. 



Greene, Samuel E. 
Bennett, Wm. H. 
Collins, Gilbert L. 
Johnson, Jas. B. 



Johnson, Alfred A, " 

Neilil, Samuel Sept. 4, 1862. 

Sunderland, Wm. H.Dec.l4,1861.Re-enlisted, Jan. 5, 1864. 



REMARKS. 

Sergeant; taken prisoner, June 18, 
18(53; exchanged; re-enlisted, Jan. 
5, 1864. 

Taken prisoner, June 18, 1863; ex- 
changed; re-enlisted, Jan. 6, 1864. 

Taken prisoner, March 17, 1863; ex- 
changed; mustered out,Oct.lO,'64. 

Re-enlisted, Jan. 5. 1864; transferred 
to the Navy, April 29, 1864. 

Re-enlisted, Jan. 5, 1864; transferred 
to troop D, new organization, De- 
cember 21, 1864. 

Discharged, May 6. 1862. 
"- Nov. 30. 1862. 



Durden, Bobert 



Harrington, Amos " 

Lowther, Henry Dec. 31, 1861. 
McMillan, Wm. Dec. 14, 1861. 

Nason, Chas. H. " 



Parkinson, Benoni 
Greene, Samuel N, 
Jordan, Henry P. Auj 



Rice, Caleb Dec. 14, 1861 

Spink, Wm. R. " 



Coggshall, Edwin L. 
Clarke, Geo. L. 

Card, Benj. S. 
lugraham, Rufus L. 



Taken prisoner, Aug. 9, 1862; exchd; 

taken prisoner, Oct. 12, 1863; died, 

Aug. 5,1864, at Andersonville,Ga. 

Discharged, Dec. 22, 1862, on surg.cer- 

tilicate. 
Deserted, July 20, 1862. 
Discharged, June 13, 1862, on surg. 
certificate. 
" Discharged, Jan 17, 186.3, on surgeon's 

certiticate. 

" Corporal; taken prisoner,Sppt. 15,'62. 

" Not accounted for on the rolls. 

15,1862. Wounded, March 17, 18(;3; discharged, 
Aug. 28, 1863, on surg. certif. 
I)is(;h. Feb. 13, J863, on surg. certif. 
Corporal; taken prisoner, June 18, 
1863; exchanged; re-enlisted, Jan. 
5, 1864. 
Mustered out, Nov. 11, 1864. 
Wounded, Sept. 14, 1863; taken pris- 
oner, Oct. 12, 1863. 
Desered, July 18, 1862. 
Discharged, May 2, 1862, on surg.certif. 



FIRST REGIMENT, R. I. 

COM. SERGEANT. 

Atwood, Nathan Jan. 5, 1864. 

CORPORAL. 

Greene, Samuel R. " 

PRIVATES. 

Spink, Wm. R. Jan. 5, 18()4. 
Clark, Geo. L. Dec. 14, 1861. 
Gorton, Ray G. Feb. 6, 18(^4. 
Bates, Willard H, Jan. 5, 1864. 
McKee, Wm. H. " 

Tourg«e, Wm. H. " 

Bennett, Wm. H. Dec. 14, 1861. 

Johnson, Jas. B. Jan. 5, 1864. 
Sunderland, Wm. A. " 



CAVALRY, (REORGANIZED). 

Mustered out, Aug. 3, 1865. 

Sergeant, May 1, 1865; mustered out, 
Aug. 3, 1865. 

Mustered out of service, June 6, 1865. 
Prisoner of war, since Oct. 12, 1863. 
Mustered out, Aug. 3, 1865. 



Prisoner, exchanged; mustered out, 

Oct. 10, 1864. 
Mustered out, Aug. 3, 1865. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



285 



NAME AND BANK. DATK OP MUSTER. BEMABKS. 

SEVENTH SQUADRON, R. I. CAVALRY. 

WAGONER. 

Havens, Harris June 24, 1862. Mustered out, Sept. 26, 1862. 

PRIVATES. 

Greene, Ezbon A. " " " 

Gardiner, Nicholas B. " ' " Sept. 25, 1862. 

Hall, Edwin W. " " Sept.26, 1862. 

James, Lewis " " " 

Martin, Joseph " *' '• 

Rice, \Vm. T. 

Wood, Jason F. June 21, 1862. Mustered out, September 26, 1862. 

SECOND REGIMENT, RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 

PRIVATES. 

Harvey. Edward Nov. 21, 1862. Transferred to troop I, 3d R. I. Cav- 
alry, Jan. 14, 1864. 

Costley, Joseph May 4, 1863. Transferred to troop I, 3d R. I. Cav- 
alry, Jan. 14, 1864. 

THIRD REGIMENT, RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 

CAPTAIN. 

Barney, Wm. C. Sept. 15, 1863. 



SERGEANT. 

Sweet, Alonzo B. Sept. 12, 1863. 

CORPORAL. 

Gorton, Benjamin " 

PRIVATES. 

Gorton, Benjamin " 

Caloran, John " 

Cook, Thomas " 



Cook, Rowland C. " 

Briggs, James P. Dec. 17, 1863. 
Cady, Joel E., Jr. " 

Smith, Francis " 

Little, Robert Jan. 9, 1865. 
Mitchell, James M. " 



Sweet, Wm. June 18, 1864. 
Budloug, Wm. H. Apr. 15, 1864, 
Carriugton, David W. " 
Salisbury, Daniel L. " 
Slater, Albert H. " 

Costley, Joseph Nov. 13, 1862, 
Haney, Edward Oct. 16, 1862. 

Martin, Patrick June 18, 1864. 
Martin, Patrick " 



Resigned, Feb. 29, 1864, on account 
of disability. 

Wounded, Aug. 16, 1864, near Mobile, 
Ala. ; mustered out, Oct. 25, 1865. 

Discharged, July 12, 1865, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Deserted, Dec. 13, 1863. 
Mustered out, Nov. 29, 1865. 
Corporal. Taken prisoner; exchanged 

July 27, 1864; Deserted, July 26, 

1865. 
Mustered out, Sept 29, 1865. 
Nov. 29, 1865. 
Farrier. Mustered out, Nov. 29, 1865. 
Died, Sept. 9, 1864, at New Orleans, 

of chronic diarrhoea. 
Deserted, Aug. 14, 1865. 
Taken prisoner. May 18, 1864, near 

Sim's Port, La. ; returned, Dec. 

10, 1864; mustered out, Aug. 1,'65. 
Sergeant. Mustered out, Nov. 29, 1865. 
Deserted, June 27, 1864. 
July 11, 1865. 
Mustered out, Nov. 29, 1865. 
Died, August 9, 1864, at New Orleans, 

La. 
Mustered out, Nov. 13, 1865. 
Drowned, Dec. 22, 1864, on passage 

from New Orleans to New York. 
Mustered out, Nov. 29, 1865. 



286 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OF MUSTER. REMARK3. 

PRIVATES. 

Harry, Charles E. June 26, 18(14. Absent, sick, Nov. 29, 1865. 

Smith, Edison B. Feb. 27, 1864. Corporal; Sergeant; Mustered out, 

Nov. 29, 1865. 
Briggs, James E. June 18, 1864. Mustered out, Nov. 29, 1865. 



THIRD REGIMENT, R. I. HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

COLONEL. 

Brayton, C. R. Oct. 9, 1861. Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

2d LIEUT. 

Birney, Wm. C. " 1st Lieutenant, March 11, 18S2; re- 

signed, June 25, 1863. 

SERGEANT. 

McElroy, James Aug, 14, 1861. Discharged, Dec. 21, 1862. 
Slocura, James W. Feb. 14, 1862. Mustered out, March 17, 1835. 

CORPORAL. 

Davis, Geo. W. S. Feb. 7, 1864. Sergeant. Mustered out, August 27, 

1865. 

MUSICIAN. 

Gardiner, Geo. W. Oct. 5. 1861. Mustered out, Oct. 5. 1864. 
Glearv, James " " " 

Card,"Wm. H. " " " 

ARTIFICER. 

Gorton, Wm. W. Feb. 14, 1862. Dischargjd. April 29, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

PRIVATES. 

Benchley, Wm. A. Feb 1, 1862. Mustered out, Jan. 31, 1865. 

Fallow, John Aug. 20, 1831. Killed in action, April 9, 1863, near 

Port Royal Ferry. 

Harrington, David T. Feb. 13,'62. Died April 20, 1862, at Hilton's Head , 

S. C. 

Wallin, David Aug. 20, 1861. Discharged, Feb. 17, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Byron, Thomas " Discharged, April 4, 1835, on sur- 

geon's certificate. 

Bennett. AlmonG., Jr. Dec. 28,'64. Mustered out, August 27, 1865. 

Cavauagh. Thomas Jan. 24, 1864. " " 

Dalton, Michael " Corporal, July 1, 1865; mustered out, 

August 27, 1865. 

Decker, Geo. W. March 22, 1862. Mustered out, April 12, 1865. 

Hall, John C. Oct. 5, 1861. 

Kelley, Thomas " Mustered out, August 27, 1865. 

Kinnecome, C. G. " " " 

Wade, John " " " 

Mason, Michael H. Jan. 29, 1862. " Jan. 29, 1865. 

Brophy, Wm. F. Oct. 5, 1861. Reiinlisted, Jan. 20, 1864; mustered 

out, June 9, 1865. 

Downie, Wm. " Reeulisted, Jan. 20, 1864; mustered 

out, June 9, 1865. 

Blaisdell, Jer. A. •"' Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Clark, Elijah " " August 27, 1865. 

Barbour, James D. Jan. 22, 1862. Died Dec. 10, 1863, at Morris Island, 

S. C. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



28T 



NAME AND RANK. DATE Or MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Crowley, James Aug. 21, 1861. 
Arnold, Philetus H. " 



Arnold, Thatcher " 

Burroughs, Wm. " 

Burns, Patrick " 

Cavanaugh, Thos. A, Oct. 5, 1861 
Oonnolv, James " 

Hall, John C. Oct. 5, 1861. 
Kelley, James '• 

Kelley, Patrick " 

McGuinis, Michael " 

Mason, Michael H. Jan. 29, 1862. 
Smith, James Oct. 5, 1861. 
Byron, Thomas " 

Bennett, Philetus H. " 
Baker, Wm. H. " 

Dalton, Thomas E. July 10, 1863, 
Dougherty, John Oct. 5, 1861. 

Dougherty, Peter " 

Dalton, Michael " 
Dyer. Edward T. 

Evans, Raymond R. " 

Finn, John " 

Elvin, William " 

Hazard, Wm. " 

Hunt, Samuel " 

Hacket, Edward " 

Jordan, Winchester " 

.lordan, Daniel " 

Kelley, Thomas " 

Kinnecome, Charles " 

Kenyon, Isaac C. " 

Mc Arthur, John ' 

Stewart, Silas H. " 

Wade, John " 

Calvin, John " 



Killed, August 19, 1864, on way 
north to be mustered out. 

Wounded, June 16, 1862, in action on 
Jones Island, S. C. ; reenlisted, 
Jan. 24, 1864, mustered out, Aug. 
27, 1865. 

Transferred to Co. A., Jan. 1, 1862. 

Died Aug. 12, 1852, at Hilton Head, 
S. C, of wounds. 

Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Reenlisted, Jan. 24, 1864 Corporal. 

Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Died, August 4, 1883, at Hilton Head. 
S.,C. 

Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Discharged, May 26, 1863,on surgeon's 
certificate. 

Transferred to Co. B, Sept. 15, 1864. 

Corporal. Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864 

Reenlisted, Jan. 24, 1864. 

Seroeant. Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Reenlisted, Jan. 24, 1864; mustered 
out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Transferred to Co. M, Sept. 12, 1864. 

Discharged, Nov. 9, 1861, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Corporal. Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Reenlisted, ,Ian. 24, 1864. 

Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 



Woolly, John 
Barbour, Miles 
Butterworth, James 
Sullivan, Patrick 
Brayton, Luther E. 



Discharged, Dec. 18, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certifi<;ate. 

Died. April 21, 1862, at Dawfuskie's 
Island, S. C. 

Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Reenlisted, Jan. 25, 1864. 
.( (( 

Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 
Discharged, Nov. 9, 1861, at Fort 

Hamilton, N. Y. 
Died, July 30, 1863, at Fort Pulaski, 

Ga. 
Reenlisted, Jan. 24, 1864. 
Wounded, June 16, 1862, in action 

on Jones Island, S. C. ; mustered 

out, Oct. 5, 1864. 

Mustered out, August 31, 1864. 

Oct. 5, 1864. 
(( (i 

Corporal. Mustered out, Oct. 5, 1864. 
Mustered out, March 17, 1865. 



288 



HISTORY OF WABWICK. 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OP MUSTEK. BEMARKS. 

PRIVATES. 

Clark, Elijah Sept, 2, 1861. Transferred to Co. D, Feb. 24, 1865. 
Gardner, Wm. A, Mar. 17, 1862. Discharged, Oct. 4, la62, on surgeon's 

certificate, 

FIFTH REGIMENT, R. I. HEAVY ARTILLERY, 



CORPORAL., 

Eddy, Samuel R. Sept. 10, 1862. 

Gleason, Nathan H. Dec. 16, 1861, 
Anthony, Edward G. May 14, '62. 

PRIVATES. 

Collins, Thomas Dec. 27, 1861. 



Johnson, Daniel B. Dec, 21, 1861. 

Donnelly, Robert Dec, 16, 1861. 
Levalley, Cromwell " 

Boylan, James " 

Bray, William " 

Bicknell, Mumford " 

Crawford, Isaiah, " 

Comisky, John J. " 

Martin, Bernard '■ 

Nutting, John W. " 

Reaves, Henry S. " 

Septon, George T. " 

Cady, Calvin L, Aug, 15, 1864, 
Jenkin, "\Vm, C, " 

Levalley, Fred. H. 
Arnold, Stephen G. Dec, 27, 1862. 
Arnold, Stephen " 



Taken prisoner, May 5, 1364; died in 

prison at Mellen, Ga., Nov. 19,'64. 

Sergeant; Mustered out, Nov. 20, 1864, 

Discharged on surgeon's certificate, 

Dec, 1, 1862, 

Taken prisoner. May 5, 3864, at 
Croaton, N. C. ; died July, 1864, 
at Andersonville, Ga. 

Discharged, Jan. 30, 1863, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Mustered out, Nov. 21, 1864. 

Discharged, Sept. 12, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate 

Mustered out Nov. 20, 1864, 

Discharged, August 28, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Reenlisted, Jan. 2, 1864; mustered 
out, Jan. 26, 1865. 

Corporal. Mustered out. Nov, 21, 1864. 

Reenlisted, Jan. 5, 1864; mustered 
out, June 26, 1865, 

Reenlisted, Jan, 5, 1864; mustered 
out, June 26, 1865. 

Discharged, Feb. 5, 1863, on surgeon's 
certificate. 

Reenlisted, Jan. 2, 1864; mustered 
out, June 26, 1865. 

Discharged, April 6, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Mustered out, June 26, 1865. 



Transferred to Co. I, Jan. 12, 1863. 
Discharged Aug. 5, 1863, on surgeon's 
certificate. 



FOURTEENTH REGIMENT, RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTIL- 
LERY, (COLORED.) 

CORPORAL. 

Lowe, Ishmael R. Sept. 14, 1863. Died, June 21, at New Orleans of 

sj'philis. 
Sweet, Pardon S. " Mustered out, Oct. 2, 1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Mason, Isaac " Died, May 25, 1864, at Pass Cavallo, 

Texas, of typhoid fever. 
Fry, John Feb, 18, 1865, Mastered out, Oct, 2, 1865, 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 289 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OF MUSTER. EEMARKS. 

FIRST LIGHT BATTERY, RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 

PRIVATES. 

Ross, David G. May 2, 1861. Mustered out, Aug, G, 1861. 
Snow, Bi'roii D. " " " 

TENTH LIGHT BATTERY, RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEEF^S. 

PRIVATES. 

Bailey, Samuel May 26, 1862. Mustered out, Aug. 30, 1862. 

Bates, Wra. A. 

Bicknell, Alfred A. " " '• 

Browning, Gardner K. " " " 

Campbell, Fred " " 

Cameron, Donald " " " 

Carroll, Joseph " " " 

Murphy, Patrick " " " 

Riley, Isaac, " " '• 

Somerville. Wm. " " •' 

Tennant, Daniel R. " " 

Wright, David H, " " " 

FIRST REGIMENT, R. I. LIGHT ARTH.LERY. 

2d LIEUT. 

Spencer, Gideon Sept. 4, 1861. Prisoner, at battle of Ream's station, 

Aug. 25, 1864; Paroled; 1st Lieut. 
May 16, 1865; mustered out, June 

27, 1865. 
Sheldon, Israel R. " Resigned, May 22, 1863. 

SERGEANT. 

Matteson, Edwin H. " Re-enlisted, Jan. 31. 1864; mustered 

out, Julv 17, 1865. 

Buckley, Thomas Feb. 11, 1864. Mustered out, June 24, 1865. 

Kent, Jacob F, 1st sergeant, June 9, 1862; discharged, 

Sept. 15, 1862; died at Prov-, R. L 

CORPORAL. 

Andrews, Robt. H. Sept. 4, 1861. 1st sergeant, Nov. 1861; re enlisted, 

Jan. 31, 1864; mustered out, July 
17, 1865. 

Allen, Albert F. Oct. 14, 3862. Q. M. sergeant; mustered out, June 

28, 1865. 

Williams, Chas. P.Sept. 30, 1861. Sergeant, Aug. 6, 1862; mustered out, 

Oct. 3, 18(i4. 

Hargraves, Arthur A. ' Sergeant; wounded slightly, July 3, 

1863, at Gettysburg, Pa. Mus- 
tered out, Oct. 3, 1864. 

MUSICIAN. 

Arnold, Nelson H. June 6, 1861. Discharged, July 13, 1861, on surg. 

Young, Wm. H. Oct. 29, 1861. Sick, at Newb'urn, N. C, Oct. 29,1862; 

mustered out, Oct. 28, 1864. 
Locke, Thomas " 

ARTIFICER. 

Wilson, Asa Sept. 30, 1861 Discharged, Mar. 23,1863,on surgeon's 

certificate. 

25 



290 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



NAME AND RANK, DATE OP WUSTER. 



REMARKS. 



PRIVATES. 

Blanchard, Win. B. Aug. 6, 1862, 
Hathaway, Geo. " 



Andrews, Albert " 

Burlingame, Benj. A.Aug.13, '61. 

Bndlong, Stillman H. " 
Budlong, Lorenzo D. " 



Hunt, Chester F. 



Tn Stone Hospital, Nov. 30, 1863. 

Wounded slightly in shoulder, July 
3, 186:5, at Gettysburg, ; mustered 
out, June 12, 186.1. 

Discharged, Sept. 5, 1861. 

Re enlisted, Feb. 4, 1864; Corporal; 
mustered out, June 12, 1865. 

Corporal; mustered out, Aug.l2, 1864. 

Wounded severely, Dec. 13. 1862, at 
battle ot Fredricksburg, Va. ; dis- 
charged, March 13, 186.!, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Killed, Oct. 14, 1863, at battle of Bris- 
loe station, Va. 

Mustered out, Aug. 12, 1864. 

Re-enlisted, Feb. 11, 1864 Sergeant. 

Mustered out. Aug. 27, 1864. 

Transferred to battery G, Dec. 23, '64. 

Corporal; " " 

Transferred " " 



Niles, Robert A. " 

Buckley, Thomas Aug. 26, 1861 

Flanagan, John " 

Lawton, Nicholas E.Aug.15,1862 

Lawton, Nicholas \V. " 

Nicholas, Henry H.Aug. 6, 1862, 

Cbirkin, Henry " 

O'Brien, l^atrick July 21, 1862. Died, in Providence, Aug. 13, 1863 

Sullivan, Jolin Nov. 1, 1864. 

BeuHfitt, Wm. R. '• 

Arnold, Geo. E- " 



Austin, Allen " 

Brown, Wm. W. Aug. 14, 1862. 

Card, Saml. A. Sept. 4, 1861. 
Carroll, James Feb. 21, 1862. 
Carrigan, Thomas April 15, 1864 
Carroll, Edward Sept. 4, 1861. 

Corey, Augustus " 

Doran, Hugh " 

Donnelly, James '■ 

Dickson, John " 

Ellis, Leonard G. Aug. 14, 1862. 



Edwards, EJwin Sept. 4, 1861. 

Fairbrother. Jas. H. " 

Gnlligher, Chas. " 
Grinell, llobt. A. 

Havens, Wm. " 



Hood. Wm. H. 
Holahan, Thomas 
Jenkins, Samuel 
Kiernau, Ed. M. 

Johnson, Willet A. 
Knowles, John B. 



Deserted, Aug. 10, 1863. 

Prisoner of war, Aug. 28, 1862; ex- 
chanf;ed; mustered out,Sept,3,'64. 

Mustered out, Sept. 3, 1864. 

Discharged, June 23, 1865, by war de- 
partment. 

Mustered out, Nov. 15, 1864. 

Discharged, Nov. 20, 1862. 

' Killed, Sept. 16, 1862, at battle of 

Antietam. 
Sick with injured hip. 
Killed, Aug. 28, 1862, at Bull Run. 
Corporal, mustere.l out, July 17, 1865. 
Deserted, Dec. 27, 1862. 
Wonntled in head, Nov. 16, 1863, at 

battle of Camhell station, Tenn, 

Discharged, June 2;5, 1865. 
Discharged, Uec. ;3, 1862, on surgeon's 

certificate. 
Mustered out, Sept. 3, 1864. 

Julv 17, 1865. 

Wounded slightly, Dec. 13, 1862, at 
battle of Fredricksburg, Va., 
mustered out, Sept. 3, 1864. 

Deserted, Sept. 26, 1861. 

Mustered out, Sept. 3, 1864. 

Re enlisted, Jan. 31, 1864, mustered 

out, July 17, 1865. 
Absent without leave, Feb. 1864. 
Discharged, Oct.l4,1861,on surg, certif. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 



291 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OF MUSTEK. 
PRIVATES. 

Kenyon, John B. Sept. 4, 1861. 
Knight, Edwin E. " 

McCanna, John " 

Mills, Win. " 

McQuade, Patrick Oct. 22, 1861. 
McUausland, Alex.Aug. 13, 186i 

Matteson, Anson Sept. 4, 186L, 

McKenna, John Aug. 13, 1862. 

Place, John E. Sept. 4, 1861. 
Robbin, Duty Aug. 14, 1862. 

Rice, John E. Sept. 4, 1861. 

Rice, Wm. T. 

Rhodes, Francis W. " 

Ross, David G. " 

Stillman, Gideon S, " 
Sullivan, Jeremiah " 



Sunderland, Henry A. " 
Sheldon, Ohas. B. " 



Tanner, David B. " 

Tanner, James •" 

Thibbitts, Joshua W. " 

Vickery, Wm. H. " 

Wilbur, Geo. W. " 

Weeks, Rice A. " 

Burliugame, Geo. H. " 

Bucklin, Edward W.Aug.l4, '62- 

Bnrley, Wm. H. Sept. 30, 1861. 
Binns, Henry " 

Bucklin, .Tereniiah Aug. 14, 1862. 
Barbour, Geo. W.Sept. 'i2, 1864. 
Beard, Thomas T. Sept. 30, 1861. 
Cook, Isaac " 

Crothers, John " 

Croibers, William " 

Casey, David March, 20, 1865. 
Caravan, Sylvester Sept. 30. '61. 
Coville, Geo. W. " n 

Durfee, Charles " 



Mustered out, Sept. 3, 1864. 
Corporal, mustered out, July 17, 1865. 
Mustered out, Sept. 3, 1864. 
" July 17, 1865. 

. Discharged, June 23, 1865. by War 

Department. 
Re-enlisted, Jan. 31, 1864; sergeant; 

mustered out, July 17, 186.3. 
Discharged, June 23, 1865, by war 

departmert. 
Transferred to V. R. C, Feb. 15,1864. 
Missing Sept. 17, 1862, at battle of 

Antietam. 

Discharged, March 8, 1862. 

Dischaiged, Jan. 12, 1862, on surg. 
certif. 

Mustered out of of .^service, Sept.3, '64. 

Corporal; mustered out, July 17, 1865. 

Wounded in shoulder, Sept. 17, 1862. 
at battle of Antietam; mustered 
out, Sept. 3, 1864. 

Corporal; discharged, Dec. 8, 1862. 

Wounded in leg. Aug. 30, 1862; dis- 
charged, Jan. 16, 1863, on surg. 
certif. 

Discharged from hospital, date un- 
known. , 

Re-enlisted, Jan. 31, 1864; mustered 
out, July 17, 1865. 

Discharged, Nov. 12, 1861, on surg. 
certif. 

Discharged, April 10, 1862. 

Wounded .slightly, Dec. 13, 1862, at 
Fredricksburg, Va. 

Transferred to V. R. C, Dec. 15, 1863. 

Missing, June 30, 1862, battle before 
Richmond. 

Discharged, Aug. 9, 1863, on surg. 
certif. 

Mustered out, Sept. 30, 1864. 

Wounded slightly, June, .30, 1862. 
battle before Richmond. 

Corporal; mustered out, June 14,1865. 

Transferred to Battery F. 

Mustered out. Oct. 3, 1864. 

Discharged, July 20, 1862, on surg. 
certif. 

Mustered out, Oct. 3, 1864. 

Mustered out, June 20, 1865. 
Deserted, Aug. 31, 1863. 
Discharged, Jan. 9,1863, on surg. certif. 
Discharged, Dec. 14, 1861, on surg. 
certif. 



292 



HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



NAME AND RANK. DATE OF MUSTER. 
PRIVATES. 

Donnally, James, Sept. 30, '61. 
Derails, Joseph F. " 

Fairbanks, Adelbert A. " 



Hopkins, Elijah Sept. 22, 1864. 
Hilton, John" Sept. 30, 1861. 

Harrop, Joseph " 

Hollahan, John " 

Keegan, John F. " 

Keenan, Thouias " 

Mnlhead. John I. " 

Mason, Win. Feb. 25, 1862. 

Morse, John C. " 

Martin, John Sept. 30, 1861. 
Mulligan, James " 

Poyntou, llichard " 



REMARKS. 



Riley, Israel, 



Straight, Wm. M. 

Sutcliffe, Robert, Mav 22, 1862. 
Wilson, Albert B. Sept. 30, 1861. 
Williams, Henry, " 

Waterhonse, Thomas " 1862, 

Abbott, Gilbert W. " 

Bryant, Frank " 

Bicknell, Jesse B. Apr. 1, 1862. 
Bryant, Henry July, 26, 1862. 
Barbour, Geo. W. Sept. 22, 18(54 
Bates, Nathan Oct. 29, 1861. 
Card, Charles D. " 

Hopkins, Elijah Sept. 22, 1864. 
Love, Henry A. Oct. 29, 1861. 



Locke, Thomas W. " 

Miner, William July 22, 1862. 
Martin, Patrick, Oct. 29, 1861. 



Corporal ; 1st Sergeant. Mustered out, 
Oct. 3, 1864. 

Prisoner of war, June 28, 1864; ex- 
changed; mustered out Feb. 8, '65. 

Slightly wounded, Dec. 13, 1862, at 
Fredricksburg, Va. ; reenli.sted, 
Dec. 14, 1863; mustered out, June 
14, 1865 

Transferred to Battery F. 

Discharged, March 14, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Killed, June 30, 1862, at battle before 
liichraoud. 

Mustered out, Oct. 3, 1864. 

Transferred to V. R. C, Aug. 13, 1863. 

Discharged, March 14, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Cerporal; mustered out, Oct. 3, 1864. 

Killed, Dec. 13, 1862, ,at battle of 
Fredricksburg, Va. 

Reeulisted, Dec. 21, 1863; mustered 
out, June 14, 1863. 

Deserted, August 24, 1862. 
" Nov. 16, 1862. 

Discharged, Dec. 13, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Wounded slightly, July 2, 1863, bat- 
tle Gettysburg; prisoner of war, 
June -8, 1864; at Camp Parole, 
Jan. 18, 1S65; mustered out, Feb. 
8, 1865. • 

Discharged, Sept. 19, 1862, on sur- 
geon's certificate. 

Mustered out of service. 

" " " Oct. 3, 1864. 

Discharged, Dec. 1, 1862, on surgeon's 
certificate. 

Bugler; discharged, July 1, 1863, on 
surgeon's certificate. 

Corporal; mustered out, Oct. 28,1864. 

Discharged, Sept. 1, 1862, on surgeon's 
certificate. 

Mustered out, April 5, 1865. 
" June 7, 186.5. 

" June 27, 1865. 

" July 7, 1865. 

Reeulisted, Dec. 12, 1863; wagoner; 
mustered out, June 27, 1865. 

Mustered out, June 7, 18(i5. 

Wounded, March 27. 1862, while on 
picket near Newburn; mustered 
out, Oct. 28, 18'i4. 

Bugler; mustered out, Oct. 28, 1864. 

Mustered out, June 7, ]8()5. 

Reenlisted, Feb. Ifi, 1864; Sergeant; 
mustered out, June 27, 1865. 



WARWICK SOLDIERS. 293 



NAME AND BANK. DATE OF MUSTER. REMARKS. 

PRIVATES. 

Miner, Joseph Oct. 29, 1861. Reenlisted, Feb. 16, 1864; Corporal; 

mustered out, June 27, 1865. 
Reddy, Thomas May 17, 1862. Mustered out, May 18, 1865 
Sheldon, Geo. H. Oct. 29, 1861- " Oct. 28, 1864. 

Whitman, Reuben " Discharged, Oct. 20, 1862, on surgeon's 

certificate. 
Baker, Francis B. Mar. 11, 1862 Bugler; mustered out, March 11, 1865. 
Collins, John Dec. 2, 1861. Reenlisted, Dec. 25. 1865; mustered 

out, June 24, 1«65. 
Clarkin, Henry Aug. 6, 1862. Mustered out, June 24, 1865. 
Greene, Wm. R. Dec. 2, 1861. Discharged, Jan. 1, 1863, on surgeon's 

certificate. 
Huchings, Thos. B. Mar. 17, 1862. Reenlisted, March 20, 1864; wounded 

Oct. 19, 1864, Middletown, V. ; in 

hospital. 
Lawton, Nicholas W.Aug. 15, '62. Mustered out, June 24, 1865. 
Lawton, Nicholas E. " " " 

Nicholas, Henry A. Aug. 6, 1862. " " 

Brown, Geo. W. " Discharged on surgeon's certificate. 

Kettelle, John B. F. Feb 23, 1864, Veteran ; mustered out, June 28, 1865. 
Phinney, Henry " Died, April 24, 1864, near Alexandria, 

Va., pneumonia. 
Turner, Andrew Oct. 14, 1862. Died, Nov. 18, 1863, at Hope Village, 

R. I. 

Dr. Albert G. Spragiie, Assistant Surgeon, in the Tenth 
llegiiuent, Ehode Island Volunteers, enlisted from Providence, 
June 9, 1862; mustered out, Sept. 1st, 18G2; re-enlisted in 
7th R. I. Volunteers, Sept. 6, 1862; mustered out, June 9, 1865. 

Dr. Job Kenyon, Assistant Surgeon, enlisted from Coventry, 
in ad Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Sept. 25, 1862: resigned, 
Jan. 10, 1863. 

George Sears Greene, born in Warwick, E. I., May 6, 1801; 
graduated at West Point Military Academy, in 1823; commis- 
sioned Colonel of the 60th Kegiment, N. Y. Volunteers; in 
1862, he was appointed by the President and Senate a Briga- 
dier General. At the battle of Antietara, a horse was kilted 
under him, and at Wauhatchie, was severely wounded, a rifle 
ball passing through his face. In June, 1865, he was detailed as 
President of a general court martial, in which duty he re- 
mained until the close of the war. Of his sons, Samuel Dana 
Greene, was the executive officer of the Monitor from the 
time she went into commission until she foundered off Cape 
Hatteras. Brevet Major Charles T. Greene enlisted in the 22d 
N. Y. National Guard. In the battle of Ringold, Georgia, he 
lost his right leg by a cannon shot. 

The war commenced Aprill2, 1861, with the bombardment 
of Fort Sumpter. It virtually ended with the surrender of 
Gen. Johnston and his army, April 26, 1865, at Durham Sta- 
tion. Gen. Lee and his army having surrendered several weeks 
previously. 

*25 



APPENDIX. 



HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



CHURCHES IN WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND. 



INTEODUCTION. 

The early ecclesiastical history of the town of Warwick 
is involved in much obscurity, and no reliable evidence 
exists of the formation of any independent church for 
about three-fourihs of a century after the first settlement 
in 1642. That a respectable portion of the first settlers 
were Christian people there is no doubt. In 16-39, John 
Greene, Richard Waterman, Francis Weston, Ezekiel 
Holliman, Wm. Arnold and Stukely Westcott, then 
residing in Providence, united with six others in church 
relation, and " agreed to support in faith and practice 
the principles of Christ's doctrine." These six men, 
whose names are above-mentioned, were among the 
earliest settlers of this town, three of them being among 
the original purchasers of the land. Before uniting in 
church relations at Providence, they had become " con- 
vinced of the truth of believers' baptism" by immersion, 
but had not had the privilege of practicing according to 
their faith. There was no minister of like sentiments, 
who had been immersed, to administer the ordinance of 
baptism, and to meet the difficulty they selected Ezekiel 

26 



298 HISTORY OF WARWICK 

Holliman, a " pious and gifted man," to baptize Roger 
Williams, which was accordingly done, when Mr. Wil- 
liams in turn, baptized Mr. Holliman and the others. 
This was the origin of the First Baptist Charch of Provi- 
dence. Three years later, one-half the constituent mem- 
bers of that church settled within the limits of this town. 
There were others besides them who were professed 
Christians.* 

Though it does not appear that there was an organ- 
ized church in the town for a considerable period, 
there are evidences that Holliman, Waterman and their 
associates who united in the formation of the church at 
Providence, still retained their membership in that body, 
visiting it as often as they found it convenient, but 
holding meetings of worship in their own town as a 
branch of the mother church. We have found no posi- 
tive evidence of this, however. Rev. John Callender, 
then pastor of the First Baptist Church at Newport, in 
his famous centennial discourse, published in 1738, al- 
luding to the First Church of Providence, says: "This 
church shot ou#into divers branches, as the members 
increased, and the distance of their habitation made it 
inconvenient for them to attend the public worship in 
town. Several meetings were jixed at different places, 
and about the time the large township of Providence 
became divided into four towns,f these chapels of ease 
began to be considered as distinct churches, though all 



* On March 13, 1030, at the General Conrt in Boston, "John Smith, 
for disturbing the public jieace, by combining witli others to hinder the 
orderly gathering of a church at Weymouth, and to set up another 
there, contrary to the orders here established, and the constant prac- 
tice of all our churches, and for undue procuring the hands of many 
to a blank for that purpose, is fined £20, and committed during the 
pleasure of the Court or the Council."— iktoss Col. Hec. 1, 252. 

The name, John Smith, is a little confusing. Whether it was the 
same person of that name who became an early resident of this town, 
and was President of the Rhode Island Colony in 1()49, I am not able 
to decide. After the above experience from the Massachusetts Court, 
he would have been likely to seek more hosintable regions. It is 
known that some of the "Weymouth faction came to Ehotle Island. 

t This was in January, 1730-1. — Arnold, Vol. II, 102. 



INTEODUCTION. 299 



are yet in a union of counsels and interests."* On a 
subsequent page, he says : "There are in the nine towns 
on the main land, eight churches of the people, called 
Baptists, one in every town except East Greenwich, 
where there is, however, a Meeting House, in which 
there is a meeting once a month.f In a note he adds 
the names of Manasseh Martyn and Francis Bates as the 
elders of the Warwick Church. Elder Martj'^n was or- 
dained to the ministry in 1725, though the earliest records 
of this church extant bear the date ot 1741. | 

Allowing that the church here existed as a branch of 
the First Church at Providence up to the time of the 
division of the town of Providence, or about the 
that time, the interval, during which we have no records 
of a distinct church would be accounted for. If they 
were only a branch church, their records would probably 
be merged in those of the Providence Church. § It is 
well known that the doctrine of laying-on-of-hands, was 



* Branch churches, with certain delegated powers from the mother 
church, among which were the privileges of celebrating the com- 
munion and admitting members, have been common in Six Principle 
churches from time immemorial. The membership of such 
"Branches" was recorded with that of the parent chuvch. See ac- 
counts of the Crompton Church and the Bethel of that order on subse- 
quent pages. 

t In 1730, says Backus, "there were thirteen Baptist churches, 
most of them small, who held annual associations to promote disci- 
pline and communion among them upon the six principles in Hebrews 
VI." — Backus Hist, of the Baptists. 

t Knight's History, p. 273, 

§ On Friday, May 28, 1875, occurred the centennial anniversary of the 
opening of the First Baptist Church of Providence, when an interest- 
ing and valuable address was delivered by Hon. Samuel G. Arnold. 
From this address we make the following extract: " The church rec- 
ords begin in April, 1775, preceded by a list of members admitted from 
December, 1774, during the great revival, to June 30, 1782. Prefixed 
to the regular records, there is a 'History of the Baptist Church of 
Christ in Providence, Rhode Island, being the oldest Baptist Church 
in America,' with an introduction prepared in 1789, by John Stanford, 
minister, then temporarily acting as pastor of the church. Tliis is a 
brief summary of such events as could then be collected respecting 
the history of the church for a hundred and fifty years, from its foun- 
dation in 1639. Mr. Stanford's original manuscript of twenty folio 
pages, is preserved in the archives of the Society, and has very 
properly been copied into the first volume of the Church records. In 



300 HISTOEY OF WARWICK. 

held by the First Church of Providence,* in a lax 
manner at its beginning, but it " became afterwards a 
term of communion, and continued so until after Dr. 
Manning came among them ; he prevailed with the 
church to admit to occasional communion those brethren 
who were not convinced of the duty of coining under 
hands ; but very few such were received as members till 
after his death. On August 4, 1791, the church had a 
full meeting, when this point was deliberately considered, 
and a clear vote was gained to admit members who did 
not hold that doctrine. But notwithstanding this vote, 
the laying-on-of-hands, not as an ordinance, but as a 
form of receiving new members, was generally practiced 
until after the death of President Manning.f The first 
church of Warwick was of the Six Principle order. 

The alternative of supposing a branch church during 
a period of three-fourths of a century as existing here, 
would be that of supposing the strong personal influence 
and peculiar religious opinions of Samuel Gorton, who 
was a preacher, and sustained a religious meeting during 
this time, prevented the formation of any church, or the 
holding of any meetings that were not in accordance with 
his views. At first we were inclined to this view. But 
upon further research and consideration, the alternative 
was rejected. That Mr. Gorton held a meeting during this 
time is probable, but that the nucleus of the church, 
which assumed an independent existence about the year 
1725, had existed many years previous as a branch of 
the First Church, Providence, seems worthy of credit. 

Some account of Samuel Gorton and of his peculiar 



1828, a small pamphlet was printed under the direction of the late 
Nicholas Brown, then President of the Society, containing the cliarter 
and by laws, together with the 'minutes of tlie early proceedings of 
the Society from its first recorded meetings till 1793, when Dr. Gano 
was called to the pastorate.' In this tract of sixteen pages, are pre- 
served a complete transcript from the records for the first sixteen 
months and the more important entries till the calling of Dr. Gano." 

* Benedict's Hist. Vol. I, 487. 

tDr. Hague's Historical discourse, p. 107. 



INTRODUCTION. 301 



religious views, seem appropriate in this connection as 
belonging to the ecclesiastical history of the town. 
Though no church was formed in connection with his 
ministrations, he exerted a powerful influence upon the 
religious views of the colony. Benedict, in his history, 
says: "Calleuder, Backus and others who have spoken of 
Gorton's religious opinions, acknowledge that it is hard 
to tell what he believed, but they assure us that it ought 
to be believed that he held all the heresies that were 
ascribed to him. The most we can learn is, that in alle- 
gory and double-meanings of scripture he was similar to 
Origen ; in mystical theology and the rejection of ordi- 
nances, he resembled the Quakers ; and the notion of 
visible churches he utterly rejected." That he held all 
the heresies that were ascribed to him, as intimated by 
Dr. Benedict, is hardl}^ to be credited, as some of them 
that were published during the life of Gorton in " Mor- 
ton's New England Memorial," were distinctly disa- 
vowed by Gorton himself. The remark of Dr. Benedict 
is too sweeping, and does not accord with the statement 
of Callender, who says : "There are sufficient reasons why 
we ought not and cannot believe he held all that are con- 
fidently fathered upon him. For it is certain, that, what- 
ever impious opinions his adversaries imputed to him, and 
whatever horrid consequences the}'" drew from the 
opinions he owned, he ascribed as bad to them and fixed 
as dreadful consequences upon their tenets ; and at the 
same time in the most solemn manner, denies and disa- 
vows many things the}^ charge him with ; above all, when 
he is charged with denying a future state and judg- 
ment to come, both in theory and practice, he peremp- 
toril}'" and vehemently denies the charge, and solemnly 
appeals to God and all that knew him, of the in- 
tegrity of his heart and the purity of his hands ; and 
avers that he always joins eternity with religion, as most 
essential. And that the doctrine of the general Salva- 
tionists was the thing which his soul most haied. 
[Answer to Morton's Memorial, — Calender, p. 92]. 
Calender further says : "He strenuously opposed the 

*26 



302 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

doctrines of the people called Quakers. I am informed 
that he and his followers maintained a religious meeting 
on the first day of the week for above sixty years, and 
that their worship consisted of prayers to God, of preach- 
ing, or expounding the scriptures and singing of psalms." 
Dr. Benedict says : " He was a leader of a religious 
meeting in Warwick above sixty years." This state- 
ment is incorrect, as he died in 1667, or twenty-five 
years from the founding of the town. The statement of 
Callender will come nearer to the truth " that he and his 
followers " maintained a meeting for that length of time. 
No church was organized by him or his followers, but 
stated seasons of worship were held upon the Sabbath in 
which the gospel was dispensed freely to all who would 
Hsten to it. Among his chief heresies were the rejection 
of an organized visible church and the ordinances con- 
nected with it ; and from these peculiar views and those 
of minor importance which grew out of them, sprang 
most of the trouble between him and the other religious 
sects. Morton in " New England's Memorial," gave a 
summary of Gorton's religious opiuions, which was pub- 
lished during Gorton's life. Gorton wrote to Mr. 
Morton denying some of the charges made against him 
in this book, especially that he had ever asserted that 
there was " no state or condition after death," and says : 
" I appeal to God, the judge of all secrets, that there 
never was such a thought entertained in my heart." He 
further says in answer to another charge : " we never 
called sermons of salvation, tales ; nor any ordinances of 
the Lord, an abomination or vanity ; nor holy ministers, 
necromancers ; we honor, reverence and practice these 
things." In this letter he refers to a book published by 
Mr. Winslow, which referred also to his sentiments, of 
which Gorton says he had read but little, but was in- 
formed by Mr. Brown, who had been a commissioner for 
the United Colonies, that "he would maintain that 
there were forty lies published in that book." The let- 
ter may be found in the Appendix to Judge Staples' 
edition of Simplicities' Defence. 



INTRODUCTION. 303 



Without attemptlnj^ to state the religious views of 
Gortou with any degree of precision, it may perhaps be 
safely said that the essential gospel truths, as held by the 
great body of evangelical christians of the present day, 
were those that were held and preached by this somewhat 
singular man. That the difference that existed between 
his opinions, with the exception of those specially noted, 
and those of Williams and others, was rather im- 
aginary than real, and grew out of the peculiar way in 
which he expresssd them, is evident. His published 
works are marvels of curious composition, with sen- 
tences so long and complicated, that it would make a 
school-master's blood run backwards, to analyze and 
parse them. Among these works the reader is referred 
to his " Incorruptible Key," printed in London, in 1647 ; 
" Saltmarsh returned from the Dead," printed in 1655 ; 
"Antidote against pharasaical Teachers," and "Anti- 
dote against the common Plague of the World ; " •' Sim- 
plicities Defence against a Seve'n Headed Church Policy," 
published in England, in 1646. These, with a manu- 
script commentary on the Lord's Prayer, of more than a 
hundred pages, now in possesion of the R. I. Historical 
Society, will furnish the curious reader with ample ma- 
terial for studying the religious tenets of the man. His 
" Simplicities Defence," is an historical narrative of the 
difficulties between the early settlers, of this town and 
the colony of Massachusetts, growing out of the attempts 
of the latter to extend its jurisdiction over the lands and 
persons of the former. The account is written in his 
peculiar style, but is regarded as a fair account of the 
origin, progress, and issue of the unhappy controversy. 
Several valuable letters that passed between the ()arties 
during the time, are included in it, with much of a 
rambling theological character, in which the author de- 
lighted to indulge. The work is dedicated to the Earl 
of Warwick, whose friendly aid was received and duly 
acknowledged, and whom, as we have already stated, 



304 HISTORY OP WARWICK. 

the settlers honored by giving his name to their town.* 
Gorton was a man of acknowledged native talent, and 
with all his literary abstruseness and theological com- 
bativeness, exerled a large and for the most part a 
salutary influence in the community. When his opin- 



* As a matter of curiosity, and as indicating Gorton's method of 
tliouglit and style of composition, we give tlie following title pages to 
two of liis works, liis "Incorruptible Key," and his " Saltmarsh re- 
turned from the Dead." 

"An Inooukuptiule Key, composed of tlie CX Psalme Avherewith 
you may oi)en the Rest of the Holy Scriptures: Turning itself only 
according to ihe Composure and Art of that Lock, of the Closure and 
Science of tliat Great Myslerie of God manifest in the Flesh, but jus- 
tified only by the Spirit which it evidently openeth and revealeth, 
out of Fall and Resurrection, Sin and Righteousuess, Ascension and 
Desceusion, Height and Deptli, First and Last, Beginning and Ending, 
Flesh and Spirit, Wisdom and Foolishness, Strength and Weakness. 
Mortality and Immortality, Jew and Gentile, Light and Darkness, 
Unity aud Multiplication, Fruitfulness and Barrenness, Care and 
Blessing, Man and Woman, All Suffering and Deficiency, God aud 
Man. And out of every unity made up of twaine, it openeth that 
great two-leafetl Gate which is the sole Entrie into the city of God of 
New Jerusalem, iriio ivhich none Imt the king of Glory can enter : and as 
the Porter openeth the doore of the Slieepfoid, by which whosoever 
ent«reth in, is the She])herd of the Sheep: See Isa. 45, 1 ; Psal. 24, 7, 8, 
9, 10: John ]0, 1, 2, 3; Or, (according to the signification of the word 
translated Psalme) it is a pruning knife, to lop off from the church of 
Christ all superfluous Twigs of earthly and carnal commandments. 
Levitical services or Ministry aud fading and vanishing Priests or 
Ministers, who are confirmed by Death as holding no correspotidency 
with the ))rincely Dignity, Ofiice and Ministry of an Melchisedek who 
is the only Ministry of the Sanctuary and of that true Taliernacle 
whicli the Lord ]3itcht and not Man. For it supjilauts the Old Man 
and implants the new: abrogates the Old Testament or Covenant and 
confirms the New into a thousand generations, or in generations for- 
ever By Samuel Gorton, Gent, and at the time of penning hereof, in 
the place of Judicature (upon Aquethneck alias Road Island) of 
Providence Plantations in the Nanhygansett Bay, New England. 
Printed in the yeere 1(517." 

"Saltmaush EExaiiNED FROM THE Dead, in Amicus Philalethes : or 
the Resurrection of James the Apostle out of the Grave of Carnal 
Glosses for the correction of the universal Apostacy which cruelly 
hurried liim who yet liveth. Appearing in the Comely Ornaments of 
his Fifth Chapter in an exercise, June 5, 1()54. Having laid by his 
grave (ilothes in a despised village remote from England, but wishing 
well and heartily desiring the True Prosperity thereof." — Mackie's 
Life of Gorton in Spark' s Am. Biog. 

That such language may have been perfectly intelligible to Gorton 
himself, we have no disposition to doubt; that it niay have conveyed 
more to his contemjioraries who were acquainted with the circum- 
stances that called it forth, and had become familiar with such forms 
of expression, than to us, may be true. That it lacks a little of that 
perspicuity, which in modern times is regarded as an excellence in 
writing or speaking, is quite evident. 



INTEODQCTION. 305 



ions on civil or religious topics were opposed, he showed 
much of that quality that might be termed, " otherwise- 
mindedness," and, at times, exhibited a " superfluity of 
naughtiness," but otherwise was of a generous and 
sympathetic nature, and inclined to award to others the 
same liberty of thought and expression which he claimed 
for himself 

We close this account of him with an extract taken 
from the manuscript Itinerar}^ of Dr. Styles, a former 
clergyman of Newport, rnd afterwards President of 
Yale College, as given by Judge Staples : 

"At Providence, Nov. 18, 1771, I visited aged Mr. John 
Angell, ae. 80, born, Oct. 18, 1691, a plain, blunt-spoken man; 
right old English frankness. He is not a Quaker, nor Baptist, 
nor a Presbyterian, but a Gortonist, and tbe only one I have 
seen. Gorton now lives in him, his only disciple left. 
He says he knows of uo other and that he is alone. He 
gave me an account of Gorton's disciples, first and last, and 
showed me some of Gorton's printed books and some of his 
manuscripts. He said Gorton wrote in heaven and no one can 
understand his writings, but those who live in heaven while 
on earth. He said that Gorton had beat down all outward 
ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper with unanswer- 
able demonstrations. That Gorton preached in London in 
Oliver's time, and had a cliurcli and living of j£500 a year 
offered him, but he believed no sum would have tempted 
him to take a farthing for preaching. He told me that his 
grandfather, Thomas Angell, came from Salem to Providence 
with Roger Williams, that Gorton did not agree with Koger 
Williams, who was for outward ordinances set up by new 
apostles. I asked if Gorton was a Quaker; as he seemed to 
agree with them in rejecting ouiward ordinances. He said 
no; and that wiien George Fox (I think) or one of the first 
IFriends came over; he went to Warwick to see Gorton, but was 
a mere babe to Gorton. The Friends had come out of the 
world some ways, but still were in darkness or twilight, but 
that Gorton was far beyond tliem, he said, high way U]) to the 
dispensation of light. The Quakers were in no way to be com- 
pared with him; nor any man else can, since the jDrimitive 
times of the church, especially since they came out of Popish 
darkness. He said Gorton was a holy man; wept day and 
night for the sins and blindness of the world; his eyes were a 
fountain of tears, and always full of tears — a man full of thought 
and study — had a long walk out tlu'ough the trees or woods by 
his house, where he constantly walked morning and evening. 



306 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

and even in the depth of the night, alone by himself, for con- 
templation and the enjoyment of the dispensation of light. 
He was universally beloved by all his neighbors and the Indians, 
who esteemed him not only as a friend, but one high in com- 
munion Avith God in heaven, and indeed he lived in heaven." 

In preparing the following accounts of the churches, 
the author communicated with the pastors or some lead- 
ing members of the several churches now existing in 
the town, inviting them to furnish a brief sketch of their 
respective churches, for publication. In several instances 
the invitation was accepted, and in others the records of 
the churches were kindly placed in his hands to enable 
him to furnish the accounts. He regrets that in a few 
instances, either from a loss of the reccJrds or lack of 
interest in the subject, on the part of those to whom 
he applied, he has failed to receive the desired informa- 
tion concerning several. Where the accounts have been 
prepared by others, due acknowledgement has been 
given. In the other cases, where church records have 
been kindly placed in his hands from which to make up 
the accounts, such accounts have received, in each case, 
the approval of some one or more of the leading mem- 
bers of the church, to whom they were submitted before 
publishing : 

OLD BAPTIST CHURCH, OLD WARWICK.* 

This church, which has had for the past thirty years 
merely a nominal existence, is the oldest one in the 
town, having probably existed as a branch of the First 
Baptist Church of Providence, nearly or quite a half 
century before it assumed an . independent existence. 
The earliest records of the church bear the date of 1741, 
though the origin of the body as a distinct and indepen- 
dent church, must have been as early as 1725. Backus' 
history mentions it in 1730 as then existing. Previous 

* The six principles, or doctrines, held by this church may be found 
in Hebrews vi., 1, 2. 



OLD BAPTIST CHURCH, OLD WARWICK. 307 

to that date, and reaching back to about the time of the 
first settlement of the town, it probably existed as a 
branch of the First Baptist Church of Providence, of 
which several of the original settlers of the town were 
constituent members. Hence the history of the body 
previous to the organization as a separate church would 
be incorporated with that of the First church of Provi- 
dence. As there are no original records of this latter 
church extant, previous to April, 1775, it is impossible 
to determine the exact status of the body previous to 
that date. In 1730, the church at Old Warwick con- 
sisted of 65 members, under the pastoral care of Elder 
Manasseh Martin.* Elder Martin having served the 
church as pastor upwards of 30 years, died March 20th, 
1754. He lies buried in the cemetery near the site of 
the Meeting House where he preached. A heavy slab 
half embedded in the earth, with his name and date of 
death, marks the spot. His widow, who afterwards be- 
came the wife of Elder Charles Holden, lies beside him. 

On the 18th of June, 1744, John Hammett was 
ordained as colleague of Mr. Martin, and seems to have 
extended his labors beyond the immediate precincts of 
Old Warwick, gathering many into the church from 
remote regions. He served the old church " upwards of 
six years," according to the inscription upon his tomb- 
stone, dying in the 48th year of his age. He lies buried 
also, in the yard of the old meeting-house. 

On June 16, 1757, Charles Holden was ordained pas- 
tor of the church, and continued to preach until old age 
and its infirmities compelled him to relinquish his post. 
He was ordained in the 62d year of his age, and died 
June 20th, 1785, in his ninetieth year. He lies buried 
in a quiet spot, some thirty or forty rods west of the res- 
idence of John Wickes Greene, Esq. Elder Holden 
had a son and also a grandson named Charles. Among 



* See " The Historv of the General or Si^x Principle Baptists in Europe 
and America," by Elder Richard Knight, published in 1827. Elder 
Knight was the esteemed and useful pastor of the Scituate church. 



308 HISTOKY OF WARWICK. 

his lineal descendants was the late John Holden, of 
Crompton, father of the late Thomas R. Holden, of 
Providence. Previous to the declaration of American 
Independence, it was customary for ministers, following 
the old English custom, to pray for the king in their 
public worship. One Sabbath after the Declaration, 
while the Elder was praying, forgetting for the moment 
the change that had taken place in the political condi- 
tion of the country, he reached the place where the 
usual petition for the king came in, and before he was 
aware he uttered it — " we pray for the king and all in 
authority " — when suddenly checking himself and hesi- 
tating he added with emphasis — Hiving in Rhode Island! " 
The limiting clause of the petition thus forcibly ex- 
pressed, established his patriotism. In his will, Elder 
Holden made provision for the liberation of his several 
slaves. Dimmis was to have her freedom on the de- 
cease of her master, and her youngest son was given her 
until the age of twenty one, when he was to be free. 
His slave Dinah was to be set at liberty at eighteen 
years of age, and Prince, Cato and Morocco, when they 
reached the age of twenty-one, provided they behaved 
properly up to those ages. A small bequest was made 
to each of them in addition to their freedom. 

Benjamin Sheldon was ordained assistant to Elder 
Holden, June 18, 1778, by Elders Holden, J. Wight- 
man, John Gorton and Reuben Hopkins. October 10, 
1782, Abraham Lippitt was ordained as an assistant 
elder in this church, by Elders Nathan Peirce, John 
Gorton* and J. Wightman. About the year 1793, 
Elder Lippitt removed to the West, and the following 
year the church called Samuel Littlefield to the pastoral 



* Elder John Gorton was the pastor of the church at East Green- 
wich, for many years, and preached in a nieetiug house that stood not 
far from tlie shore, but which has been demolished many years. He 
was a descendant of Samuel Gorton, one of the lirst settlers of the 
town, and the great-grandfather of Mrs. AVni. B. Spencer of Phenix. 
He otticiated at the marriage of General Nathaniel Greene. An old 
book before me, owned by Mr. Henry W. Greene, the leaves of which 



OLD BAPTIST CHUKCH, OLD WARWICK. 



309 



office, and he was ordained Februaiy 17, 1794. He 
continued to preach until about 1825, when lie had a 
paralytic shock which laid him aside from active life. 

The old meeting-bous3, a sketch of which is given in 
the engraving, was built by this church at an early date, 
and is probably the earliest one built in this town of 
which any knowledge at present exists. It was taken 
down in the spring of 1880. It was in a very decayed 




THE OLD MEETING HOUSE, OLD WARWICK. 
(From a pencil sketch by Mrs. C. W. Colgrove. ) 

condition when demolished. Its size was about forty 
feet square, with two doors, one on the side facing the 
Conimicut road, a double door, and one fronting Meet- 



are partly of the "Stamp" paper of the times, and bound in sheep 
skin, with a brazen clas)), contains tlie records of 281 marriages, in 
Elder Gorton's writing. The first m:irri.<ge, tliat of Anthony Low and 
Phebo Greene, bears tlie darn of .Linnary 1, 1754, the last, tliat of 
George Finney and Hanahretty Matthews, daughter of Caleb Mat- 
thews, May 4, \T.)2. Tlie Warwick and Coventry Baptist Chnrch was 
organized at the house of Caleb Matthews, October 21, 1805. 

27 



310 HISTOKY OF WABWICK. 

ing-Hoiise road, so called. In the rear was a burying 
ground, owned by the Low family. The building was 
without bell or steeple. Its internal arrangements were 
peculiar : the platform for the preacher was raised some 
two or three feet, with a small desk for the Bible to rest 
upon, and in the rear were seats for the preacher, the 
deacon and the constable. The deacon usually lined ofl: 
the hymns for the singers. There were three large 
square pews in front of the platform, and their occupants 
were supposed to be entitled to special respect. Other 
pews ranged along the sides of the building, with one 
long" pew foi; the deacon's family. The seats for the 
congregation generally, were rude benches. There were 
galleries on two sides of the house with stairways lead- 
ing up to them from the audience room. The whole in- 
terior was open to the roof. Before the old house was 
given up, it had become so dilapidated, that the case of 
the Plebrew sanctuary mentioned by David in the 
eighty-fourth psalm was repeated — " the sparrow hath 
found a house and the swallow a nest for herself, where 
she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of 
Hosts" — and meetings were held in the school-house. 
A farewell service was held in it October 4, 1829, and is 
still remembered by some who were present, and from 
whom the writer has received these items.* Elder Wm. 
Manchester on that day baptized, at a place called the 
"new bridge," Mary Almira and Louisa Waterman. 
It was sold soon after, and a portion of the materials 
worked up into the dwelling-house that now stands 
nearly opposite the residence of John Holden, Esq. 

Their new house, the one now occupied bj'the Shawo- 
met Baptist Church, was dedicated in 1820, Elder Wm. 
C. Manchester preaching the sermon, from Gen. xxviii. 17. 
The pastor at the time w'as Elder Job Manchester, who 
had been ordained October, 1828, He was from Coven- 
try, and had married a daughter of the late Thomas Staf- 



* John Wickes Greene, Esq., a former luemberand clerk of the old 
church, and others. 



OLD BAPTIST CHUECH, OLD WARWICK. 311 

ford, one of their leading members. He is said to have 
been an able minister, and by his liberal and enlightened 
views prepared the way for the future enlargement of 
the church. An extensive revival was enjoyed during 
the year 1829, in which twenty-two persons united with 
the church. In 18^3 he resigned his charge and removed 
to Providence, where he united with the Stewart Street 
Baptist Church. He died August 9th, 1859, aged 75.* 
In 1830, in a letter to the " General Meeting," they re- 
ported fifty-four members. Their prospects from this 
time began to wane, their members were gradually re- 
duced by death and dismission, until dependent upon 
occasional supplies in preaching, they became disheart- 
ened and finally gave up their meetings. They have 
had only a nominal existence for many years. Mr. Daniel 
Arnold, of Crompton, who died last year, left legacies to 
this church, and to those at Crompton and Birch Hill, 
which has brought to light the existence of a few mem- 
bers, who claim to be the church ; their names are Benoni 
Lockwood, Aurelia Weaver, Lucy A. Lockwood, and 
Eliza T. Lockwood. 

As there was some doubt existing as to the ownership 
of the land upon which the house was built, the town, at 
a meeting held April 15, 1829, made the following pro- 
vision, viz. : 

" Whereas certain public spirit Individuals in the Town 
of Warwick, have it in contemplation to erect a Meeting House 
for the M'^orship of Almighty God, in that Section of the Town 
usually called Old Warwick, and ou Laud near the school house 
which Land is represented to have been originally reserved by 
the proprietors for the purpose of Education and as a lanning 
field; and doubts have arisen Whether the Town may not possess 
an Interest in said Laud either by Escheat or some other title, 
Kow therefore with the intention of promoting a project so 
Laudable by perfecting the title of the Individuals aforesaid ' 



* Elder Job Manchester was a skillful mechanic as well as an able 
pastor and preacher. As early as 1816 he Invented a power loom, for 
weaving cotton cloth, and in 1818 madesome improvements on the Bed 
Ticls or Twilled work, looms. He was a practical machinist. See 
Transactions of the R. I. Society for the Encouragement of Domestic 
Industry for 18G4, pp. 61-70. 



312 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



" It is voted, That it shall be Ihe duty of the Treasurer of the 
Towu whenever a Meeting House aforesaid shall have been 
erected to Kelease on the i)art of the Town all Eiiiht and Title 
to that pnrt of the Lot whereon it may be placed. It being 
understood that the same is io Include a piece of Ground Eight 
rods square." 



OLD BAPTIST CHURCH AT APPONAUG. 

At a cliiirch meeting- held at Old Warwick, of which 
Elder Maiiasseh Martin was pastor, Dec. 6, 1744, Ben- 
jamin Peirce and wife, Ezrikham Peirce and wife, 
Edward Case and wife, John Budlong, and such others as 
wished to form a church at the Fulling INIill, of the same 
faith and order, were granted leave. Several members 
from East Greenwich united with them, and the church 
was duly organized. Benjamin Peirce was ordained 
their minister. They eventually erected a meeting house, 
" on an eminence East of the village of Apponaug which 
commanded an extensive prospect of this village, river, 
islands and surrounding country." It stood nearly oppo- 
site of tlie present residence of C. R. Hill, Esq. There 
is a tradition that it was built at the suggestion of Elder 
Peter Worden, who in 1758-9 had built a house of 
worship in Coventry, " 28 feet long by 26 feet wide and 
two stories liigh," and preached in it many 3-ears and 
afterwards settled in Apponaug. It is said that this 
house was of the same dimensions as the one in Coventry 
which became known in later times as the Elder Charles 
Stone meeting house. Elder Stone having been the suc- 
cessor of Elder Worden. Mr. Worden was born near 
Westerly, June 6, 1728, and is represented as a man of 
•large stature, with a powerful voice, and a useful rather 
than a very intellectual man. After leaving Apponaug, 
he removed to Cheshire, Mass., in 1770, where another 
edition of " 28 by 26" without revisal or improvement 
was erected, and where he continued to hold forth the 
word of life. He died in 1808, in his 80th year. He 
preached in Coventry and Warwick nineteen years. 



OLD BAPTIST CHURCH AT APPONAUG. 313 

The church became involved in difficulty owing to 
some change in the religious sentiments of Elder Pierce, 
and diminished in members and was finally dissolved, 
and " their meeting house went to decay for many years." 
At what precise period this occurred does not appear, 
but it was previous to the revolutionary war. 

Elder Knight, in his histor}^, makes no mention of any 
other pastor than Elder Peirce, in connection with this 
church, and it is probable that the connection of Elder 
Worden was of short duration. Of the subsequent his- 
tory of Elder Peirce the writer has no knowledge. The 
Peirces furnished a number of Elders to the church in 
different places. Elder Nathan Peirce was settled over 
the Rehoboth church many years, and till his death in 
1794. Elders Preserved Peirce and Philip Peirce, 
brothers, were ordained in the same church about the 
year 1800. The latter soon after removed west. 

Soon after the close of the revolutionary war another 
church was organized. The date of the organization 
is given by Elder Knight in one part of his work as 1785, 
and in another as 1792. As we have had no access to 
the original records we are unable to settle the point. 
David Corpe, a member of the East Greenwich church, 
from which the new one was set off, was ordained their 
pastor. They occupied the old house, which was repaired 
and made comfortable. Elder Corpe, becoming advanced 
in years and reduced in pecuniary means, resigned his 
trust and removed to an estate which he held in the 
northwest part of the State. Elder Spoon er was his 
successor, having been appointed by the yearly meeting 
to supply them with preaching once a month. The 
tide of prosperity turned against them, and in 1805 the 
church followed the example of its predecessor and 1)0 
came extinct. 

The old meeting house, after resounding with the mes- 
sages of the Gospel ft^r many years, finally lost its iden- 
tity more than fifty years ago, and a portion of it may be 
found in a private residence a few rods north of the spot 
where it originally stood. There are a few persons now 

*27 



314 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



living who remember it, as the place where in their 
childhood they were accustomed to assemble on the Sab- 
bath and listen to the lengthy discourses of the early 
preachers. 

THE BETHEL SIX PRINCIPLE BAPTIST CHURCH. 

This church is a grandchild of the Old Warwick 
Church. The Coventry or " Maple Root " Church * was 
set off from the latter church, May 17, 1744, though the 
latter church does not appear to have been formally or- 
ganized until Oct. 14, 17^2. The church for many 
3^ears and until 1857, was known as the Phenix Branch 
of the Maple Root Church. While sustaining this rela- 
tion to the Maple Root, worship was conducted in the 
Arkwright school house and the private houses in 
Phenix, until the school house was built in the latter 
place in 1827, when the building was used one Sabbath 
per month until the church built a meeting house. Elder 
Thomas Tillinghast preached many years in the old 
Arkwright school house, and when the Phenix school 
house was built, divided a monthly Sabbath between 
the two school houses. In 1838, they built a meeting 
house in Phenix, which was the second house built in 
that village for exclusive religious purposes. The build- 
ing committee were Dea. Johnson, Wm. C. Ames and 
Robert Levalley. The house was built by John R. 
Bray ton, now of Knightsville, who built the Tatem 
Meeting House previously. The house was about sixty 
feet long, thirty-six wide, with eighteen feet posts, and 
is said to have cost about -13,000. This was a large sum 
in those days, and,as it proved, a larger one than the church 
was able to pay, and the debt incurred resulted in dis- 
aster to the church. After struggling along for many 



* This churcli is usually, now, called the "Maple Root Church." 
Elder Kuiglit, the historian of the deuomiuation, calls it the " May- 
pole" Root Church, and I am informed by Dea. Andrews, it is so des- 
ignated in the eai'liest records of the church. 



BETHEL SIX PRINCIPLE BAPTIST CHIJRCH. 315 

years the church became somewhat divided and weak- 
ened, and their house was sold at public auction to Dr. 
McGreggor for 11,000, who afterwards sold it to Cyrus 
Manchester for $1,100. On Sept. 25, 1851, it was again 
sold to Wm. B. Spencer, Esq., who finally converted it 
into tenements, for which purpose it is still used. 

The last pastor of the Phenix Branch Church was 
Elder Stephen Thomas, whose denominational senti- 
ments underwent some change, and in the year 1851, he 
closed his labors, and subsequently became pastor of the 
present Baptist Church at Natick. Elder Thomas after- 
wards became pastor at Holme's Hole, now called Vine- 
yard Haven, where he died a few years ago. The church 
was now houseless and pastorless, and continued in an un- 
settled condition until it gathered up its little remaining 
strength about the year ] 857, and made arrangements 
for the building of a new house of worship at Birch Hill. 

In June, 1857, a petition signed by ninety-four per- 
sons, members of the " Maple Root " Church in Coven- 
try, setting forth that they had " for a long time been 
known as the Phenix Branch of said Coventry Church," 
and had now erected a house of worship at Birch Hill, 
was presented to the said Maple Root Church, praying 
that they might be organized into a separate and inde- 
pendent body. Among the petitioners were Elders 
Benjamin B. Cottrell, Henry B. Locke and Nathaniel 
W. Warren. On the third of the following month the 
petition was granted, and on the twenty-sixth of that 
month, they were duly organized as a distinct church. 
Elder Thomas Tillinghast, preached, Ephesians II, 19, 
20, 21. Elders B. B. Cottrell, H. B. Locke and N. W. 
Warner participated in the exercises. At this point the 
records, which have been very well kept by the several 
clerks, begin. 

On Saturday, August 22, 1857, Elder Thomas Til- 
linghast, was chosen pastor, and Wanton A. Whitford, 
clerk. On Oct. 31, 1858, " Elder B. B. Cottrell, Dea. 
Benjamin Essex and W. A. Whitford were appointed 
trustees to receive anil hold in trust a deed of a lot of 



316 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

land on Birch Hill in Warwick, appropriated for a meet- 
ing house for said church and denomination." The 
house was regarded by some as too small, and at a meet- 
ing held Jan. 9, 1859, a proposition was made to enlarge 
the " Bethel," by an addition of twelve feet to its length, 
and Dea. Essex, Ilemy Remington and W. A. Whitford, 
were appointed a committee to make the alterations. 
The funds for making the proposed addition did not 
seem to be forthcoming, and the committee hesitated to 
commence the work of building under the circumstances, 
and on the following October were instructed to make 
the addition " forthwith," on the front of the house. 
The addition was accordingly made and a debt incurred, 
which became a serious obstacle to the prosperity of the 
church. The building had to be mortgaged, and was in 
danger of following in the steps of the previous house 
at Phenix. Failing to obtain funds by subscription, the 
money was subsequently raised by festivals held about 
ten years ago under the direction of Mrs. Bowen A. 
Sw^eet, one of the members, the amount of -$675 being 
raised, more than sufficient to clear the house of debt. 

Previous to the year 1860, the covenant meetings were 
held at Arkwright every othermonth, and the communion 
monthly at the Bethel, subsequently it was voted to hold 
the communion services once in three months at Ark- 
wright. On March 25, 1860, Wanton A. Whitford, 
was ordained as a deacon. Previous to the ordination 
the candidate was questioned as to his religious views, 
and also his views on the subjects of Temperance and 
Slavery. " The wife of the candidate was then called 
upon to express her mind in regard to her becoming a 
Deacon's wife, when she arose and expressed a willing- 
ness to do her duty in that respect." April 28, 1861, 
Henry Remington, a member of the church, was or- 
dained to the gospel ministry, and afterwards became 
assistant pastor. April 16, 1864, Bowen A. Sweet was 
elected church clerk, in which position he has continued 
to the present time. 

At a covenant meeting held August 28, 1864, a letter 



BETHEL SIX PEINCIPLE BAPTIST CHURCH. 317 

was sent to the Association, in which it is stated that 
they had had no pastor since the death of Elder Thomas 
Tillinghast, that the church had been passing through 
severe trials, and giving as their statistics the following: 
Dismissed by letter, 4 ; excluded, 4 ; dropped, 4 ; dead, 
1; Total, 138. Oct. 23, 1864, Elder Samuel Arnold 
was unanimously elected pastor, and accepted the 
position. 

At a meeting held Jan. 26, 1868, Elder Arnold, upon 
petition of several members of the Bethel Church, re- 
siding in Swansey, read the following resolution, which 
was adopted : " Voted and resolved, that the Brethren 
and Sisters of this church, residing in the State of Mas- 
sachusetts, be set off as a branch of the same, to be 
called the Swansey Branch, tcgether Avith such others as 
shall become associated with them, with the privilege of 
receiving and dismissing members and holding com- 
munion." Number of members in September, 1874, 115. 

Elder Samuel Arnold still continues the pastor of the 
church, though living in Providence, and preaching at 
the Bethel but once a month. Elder Nathaniel W. 
Warner lived at Natick, where he died August 6th, 
1858. Elder Henry B. Locke died November 10, 1865. 
Elder B. B. Cottrell, also one of the constituent mem- 
bers of this church, is at present the acceptable pastor of 
the Tabernacle Church in Fiskeville. By his efforts a 
Meeting House was built at a cost of about $1,700, 
which was dedicated July 24th, 1873, and a church 
soon after organized. Dea. Benjamin Essex, who has 
resided in the vicinity for the past twenty-six years, and 
is also one of the constituent members of the church, 
still serves the church as deacon, and continues as prompt 
and punctual in his religious duties, as the " Regulator " 
that hangs in his workshop, and ticks away the time in 
measured beats from year to year. The late Daniel 
Arnold, of Crompton, bequeathed to this church a por- 
tion of his personal property, but the exact amount the 
church will receive is not at present known. 



318 HISTORY OF WAE.WICK. 



CROMPTON SIX PRINCIPLE BAPTIST CHURCH. 

In the winter of 1841, six persons "who subsequently 
united with others in the formation of this church, com- 
menced holding meetings in the old Centre ville school- 
house. Their meetings were interesting, and a revival 
soon followed, which resulted in the conversion of about 
thirty persons who were baptized most of them into the 
fellowship of the Maple Root church, in Coventry. 
Elder Heniy B. Locke had come from the southern part 
of the State and united with the Maple Root Church, 
and seems to have been a successful laborer with this 
little band of brethren. Before the middle of April he 
baptized the thirty converts, wdio anited with the Maple 
Root church. April 23, 1842, a petition was presented 
to the Maple Root church, signed by thirty eight per- 
sons, praying to be set off as a Branch Church. The 
praj^er was granted, and Elder H. B. Locke was chosen 
pastor, C. A. Carpenter, deacon and William Rice, clerk. 
Elder Locke remained the pastor until November 1843, 
and was followed by Elder William P. Place, who con- 
tinued in office until April 19, 1857, and then removed 
to Pennsylvania, remaining there about a year and then 
returned to Rhode Island. 

Soon after the brethren were set off from the mother 
church in (Coventry as a branch, they united their efforts 
to secure a permanent place for worship. Mrs. Sarah 
Remington, widow of James E. Remington, gave them 
a lot of land consisting of about a quarter of an acre, on 
certain conditions, among which were, that the church 
should build a meeting-house upon it within six months, 
keep it in good repair and use it, or allow it to be used 
only for religious purposes, failing in which, the lot was 
to revert to the grantor, her heirs, assigns, &c. The 
deed, which is dated December 26, 1843, further pro- 
vided " that said house shall be open and free for all 
religious societies, when not occupied by said branch of 



CONGREGATIONAL OHTJECH, EIYER POINT. 319 



the Crorapton Mills Six Principle Baptist Society." 
The house was dedicated September 7th, 1844. The 
church continued as a branch of the Maple Root, until 
April 10, 1845, when it was formally organized as an 
independent church. On September 6, 1845, it united 
with the yearly Conference. November 28, 1850, 
William Rice was ordained as a deacon. 

At the conclusion of Elder Place's labors, Elder Locke 
was recalled to the pastorate, and remained two years, 
when he died. Elder Wilcox preached two Sabbaths a 
month, for several years and until his last sickness. In 
the spring of 1868, Elder Ellery Kenyon became pastor, 
and continued until January 15, 1871, when he resigned. 
Sunday May 15, 1870, Wm. R. Johnson was baptized, 
and on the same day was ordained to the ministry, the 
ordination services being conducted by Elders Kenyon, 
Arnold and Wilcox. On March 23, 1871, the church 
unanimously elected Elder Wm. R. Johnson as its pas- 
tor and he continued thus until the present year. The 
church at present is without a pastor, though enjoying 
the preaching of Elder Slocum, 

William Rice, C. A. Carpenter, C. M. Seekell and 
William Price have served the church as deacons ; 
William Rice, E. W. Sweet, John Wood, Sheldon H. 
Tillinghast, Wm. P. Place, as clerks. The present clerk, 
is Eben VV". Sweet. The late Daniel Arnold bequeathed 
to this church a portion of his personal property, the 
exact amount of which, has not yet been determined. 



COiSGREGATIONAL CHURCH, RIVER POINT. 

On the 7th of February, 1849, an ecclesiastical 
council convened at the meeting-house, at River 
Point, for the purpose of organizing an Evangelical Con- 
gregational Church. After the usual preliminaries, the 
council voted unanimously in favor of the project, and 
organized the following persons as a church, viz. : John 
L. Smith, Jeremiah K. Aldrich, Brigham C. Deane, 



320 HISTOEY OF WARWICK. 

• 

Mary Greene, Phila B. Deane, Priscilla G. Seagraves, 
Hannah L. Sweet, Lucy Hill, Hannah Hall and Susan 
E. Smith 

Rev. George Uhler at the time of the organization of 
the church, appears to have been preaching in the place, 
and was engaged by the church as its '' stated supply," 
although he is spoken of in subsequent records as the 
pastor of the church. He continued his labors until ill 
health induced him to relinquish his position, June 12, 
1853. On the following June 13th, a call was extended 
to Rev. S. B, Goodenow, at a salary of $700, which was 
accepted, and Mr. Goodenow entered upon his work the 
first Sabbath in December 1853 ,and remained until June 
5, 1855, when he resigned and went to Ulster, N. Y. 
From this time, the church having become somewhat 
weakened by loss ot quite a number of its members, was 
without regular pastoral labor until 1857, with the ex- 
ception of about nine months in 1856, when Rev. Mr. 
Woodbury officiated as a supply. 

Rev. George W. Adams was installed pastor of the 
church, September 30, 1857, and died after a somewhat 
prolonged sickness, December 9, 1802. Mr. Adams was 
a sound theologian and an excellent pastor, and was 
beloved by the church and community. He was a dili- 
gent student and prepared his sermons with much care. 
We remember hearing him say that he had sixty fully 
written sermons that he had never preached. His death 
most deeply afflicted his family. Rev. Mr. Williams, 
who had been supplying the church during the pastor's 
illness, continued to preach until February, when seve- 
ral of the pastors connected with the Rhode Island 
Congregational Association kindly volunteered their ser- 
vices in supplying the pulpit until the last Sabbath in 
April, in order that the salary of the deceased pastor 
might be continued to his bereaved family. 

On Feb. 6, 1804, the church by an unanimous invita- 
tion engaged the Rev. J. K. Aldiich to supply the pulpit 
the following year. This arrangement continued until 
August, 1867, when Mr. Aldrich removed to East 



WAaWiCK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 321 

Bridgewater, Mass., to assume the pastoral care of the 
Union Congregational Church in that place. Mr. 
Aklrlch was during this time, as for several years pre- 
viously, also, Principal of an English and Classical 
School in the vicinity. He was followed by Rev. Lyman 
H. Blake, who received a call from the church Oct. 6, 
1867, and was ordained and installed as pastor on Nov. 
14th, following. Mr. Blake continued the pastor until 
Oct. 3, 1869, when he resigned to assume a pastorate at 
Rowley, Mass. Since then the church has been without 
a settled pastor, though enjoying during most of the 
time the ministrations of the word from various minis- 
ters, as " stated," or occasional supplies. Like nearly all 
churches it has had its seasons of adversity as well as of 
prosperity. One hundred and twenty-five persons have 
had their names enrolled upon its list of membership, 
sixty-two of whom were received on their confession of 
faith in the Redeemer, and the remainder by letters. 
Ten have died while members, two were excommuni- 
cated, and fifty-eight dismissed to unite with other 
churches, leaving the present number (April, 1875) fifty- 
five. John L. Smith and Henry Harris have served the 
church as deacons, and Jeremiah K. Adams, George T, 
Arnold and Thomas M. Holden as clerks. The records 
of this church have been unusually well kept, some of 
its clerks not only recording the ordinary business of the 
church, but also the births, marriages and deaths of those 
connected with it. 

THE WARWICK AND COVENTRY BAPTIST CHURCH.* 

The house of worship connected with this church is 
located in the village of Crompton. The legal title of 
the society, which is composed of such persons as are 
elected from the male members of the church, none 
others being eligible, is, The First Baptitt Society of 

* Tlie account of tliis church is from a recent discourse of the pastor, 
in commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of its organization. 

28 



322 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

"Warwick. The society possesses and controls the church 
property. The church is one of the mother churches of 
the toAvn, having formerly embraced within her parish 
boundaries the territory now shaved by about a score of 
churches of various orclers Avhich she has seen spring up 
around her. For this reason a somewhat extended 
account c>f her origin and progress may perhaps be 
allowed. 

Three periods may be noticed. The first, extending 
from the organization to the l)uilding of the " Tin Top " 
meeting house in Quidnick, in 1808; the second, from 
that event to the building of the meeting-house in Cromp- 
ton, in 1843 ; and the third, from that year to the pre- 
sent time. 

The first period embraces only about two and a half 
years of time, and was of an unsettled, migrator}' char- 
acter, in which the church wandered about from place 
to place seel<ing for a permanent home. It commenced 
October 21, 1805, on which date a number of converts 
belonging to East Greenwich, Warwick and North 
Kingstown, met at East Greenwich, at the house of Mr. 
Caleb Mathews, and after due consideration, decided " to 
unite together under the name of the Unitt d Brethren 
and Sisters of East Greenwich, Warwick and North 
Kingstown." On the 11 th of November following, a 
council consisting of delegates fiom the First and the 
Second Baptist Churches of Providence, the one at Re- 
hobo th and the one at North Kingstown, assembled, and 
after the usual examinations, recognized them as a 
Christian church, with the title of" The Baptist Church 
of East Greenwich, Warwick and North Kingstown." 
Thirty-seven person;;, nine of whom were men, composed 
the organization. With the exception of Deacon ."r^haw 
and his wife, who were received by letter from the First 
Church, Providence, they appear to have been at the 
time but recently converted. Asa Niles, an unordained 
brother, had been preaching in East Greenwich and Cen- 
treville, and revival blessings had followed his earnest 
labors. Quite a number of persons had been converted, 
who afterwards united in the formation of this church. 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 323 

Though Mr. Mies did not join the new church, and was 
not formally recognized as its pastor, he continued to 
preach for it until the May following, when the care of 
the church was given to Rev. David Curtis. 

Eev. Asa Kiles was bora in Braiutree, Mass., Feb. 10, 1777. 
While in business in Boston, he attended Dr. Baldwin's church 
and was convnrted. Being convinced of his duty to preach the 
gospel, he gave up his business and moved to Beverly, where 
he studied with '' Father Willianas." Eev. Mr. ^Villiaras had 
several students at the time. Having finished his studies, he 
came into Rhode Island as a missionary, and labored at Paw- 
tucket, Pawtuxet, East Greenwich and Centreville. He was 
an earnest, pointed preacher, and the truths that he uttered 
awakened much opposition among " the baser sort," some of 
whom in the villages of Pawtuxet and East Greenwich threat- 
ened him with personal violence. At one time, while he was 
preaching, one of this class threw a stone at him through a 
window, which passed by his head, striking a woman and 
breaking her arm. Elder Niles kept the stone for about twenty- 
five years. At another time they took his horse, ou which he 
rode to his appointments, and sheared hi? mane and tail, but it 
does not appear that he preached any less faithfully on account 
of these persecutions. After leaving this church, he preached 
in MiddletOAvn, Conn., four years; Windsor, Yt. foui- years; 
Salem, Mass., six years; Scituate, Mass., Weare, N. H., Haver- 
hill, Mass., and then went to Aliddleboro, Mass., where he died 
April 16, ISly, at the age of 72 years. His mind became im- 
paired at the age of sixty-five, and there was a gradual decay of 
his mental powers until he died. At his funeral there were six 
of his fellow ministers, who bore grateful testimony to his worth 
as a servant of Christ. 

The church worshipped at East Greenwich a portion 
of the time in the Court House and also in an old meet- 
ing-house that has since been destroyed. At Centreville 
they worshipped in the school-house, in the building 
now used by Mr. Gould as a wheelwright's shop. This 
building had been erected for both school and religious 
purposes and, was solemnly dedicated to God with 
appropriate services. The Methodists also used it a part 
of the time. It was furnished with a gallery for the 
singers over the entrance, and is remembered gratefully 
by the few remaining individuals who were interested 
worshippers at the time. The larger portion of the 
church residing in the region of Centreville, it was finally 



324 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

decided to erect a suitable sanctuary where they would 
be better accommodated, and Quidiiick being a central 
position, was chosen as the place. In view of this the 
church voted on the 27th of February, 1808, to change 
its name to the Baptist Church of Warwick and Coventry, 
which it still retains. This closes the rlrst period of its 
history. 

The first event of importance in the second period is 
the erection of the new meeting-house, which soon 
became widely known as the " Tin Top," so called from 
the steeple or cupola being covered with tin. Its dimen- 
sions were sixty feet long by forty wide, with a commo- 
dious vestry. Its galleries extended around three sides 
of the building. The building was framed in Provi- 
dence, and rafted down the river and around to Appo- 
naug, and thence drawn by teams to the place of erec- 
tion. It is said to have been raised and completed in 
two months, and cost $3,300. The land on which it 
stands was given by Mr. Jacob Greene. Probably no 
building ever erected in Kent County ever awakened so 
much interest as this. People living miles away, with 
curiosity excited, came and viewed it with wondering 
delight. Boys from the neighboring villages ran away 
from school, attracted b}^ its glittering tower. Large 
congregations gathered for worship within its walls, and 
the church, with grateful pride, viewed the result of 
their toils and sacrifices. They had assumed, however, 
more pecuniary responsibility than they felt able to bear, 
and, in accordance with the custom of the times, they 
applied for and received of the General Assembly per- 
mission to raise $2,000 by a lottery. (Similar grants 
had been made to other churches. One to St. John's 
Church, Providence, in March 23, 1762, for $1,000 ; 
one for |2,800 to Trinity Church, June 8, 1767, New- 
port ; one to the First Baptist Church, Providence, for 
<£2,000, in June, 1771, and at different dates to various 
other churches.) The plan did not succeed as well as 
was expected. After lingering along for years, the grant 
was sold to " Peirce & Burgess for $500, and John 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 325 



Allen was authorized to spend the money in repairing 
the house." The " Tin Top," at this period, occasion- 
ally resounded with the voices of other ministers beside 
"that of the pastor, and there are those now living who 
remember hearing Dr. Stephen Gano, the pastor of the 
First Church, Providence ; President Asa Messer, of 
Brown University ; Dr. Benedict, of Pawtucket ; Rev. J. 
Pitman, and others, within its walls. On the 10th of Sep- 
tember, 1810, the church joined the Warren Association. 
The church held their stated Sabbath worship in the 
meeting-house until about 1830. Up to this time various 
places were used for evening worship, and frequently, 
upon the Sabbath, in Crompton. Among the buildings 
used for such purposes was the old " Cotton House," a 
building since removed, which stood just back of the 
Crompton Company's stable, and the old " Weave Shop," 
not far from Deacon Spencer's store, on the opposite side 
of the road. Elder Curtis wrote me before he died that 
he taught an evening school there, as well as held meet- 
ings, and that many of his pupils were there converted. 
The " Hall " house, that has since been removed farther 
south on the turnpike, opposite the site of the old Cotton 
House, was also used for religious purposes, and other 
buildings as they could be obtained, up to the time when 
the " Store Chamber " was fitted up for a place of 
worship. It is said that the place where the church was 
worshipping, at the time Elder Ross was the pastor, 
" became too straight for the people, and especially so 
for the minister," and larger and better quarters were 
provided in the Store Chamber. This item fixes the 
time at about 1830, when they entered the latter place. 
The church, from this time, held its regular Sabbath 
services in Crompton, instead of Quidnick. The " Tin 
Top " was leased for a time to other worshippers, and 
was finally sold at public auction to Wm. B. Spencer, 
Esq., in trust for the Rhode Island Baptist State Con- 
vention, for the sum of -$320. It still remains in posses- 
sion of the Convention, though occupied by the Quidnick 
Baptist Church, which was organized in 1851. 

*28 



326 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



Rev. David Curtis, son of William Curtis, was born in East 
Stoughton, Mass., Feb. 17, 1782. He was educated at Brown 
University, where lie graduated in 1808. He was married to 
Rlioda Keach, of Smitlifield, R. I., June, 1810, by Kev. Dr. 
Gano. His wife was born June 15, 17i)0, and died Xov. 26, 
1864, at East Stoughton. Elder Cuitis died at the same place 
Sept. 12, 1869. There are two sisters of Elder Curtis now 
living. He had thirteen children, two of whom are now living. 
One of his sisters married Rev. George Winchester, a Metho- 
dist clergyman. On February 6, 1810, Elder Curtis took a 
letter from the church and united with that of Pawtuxet. He 
was pastor at the latter place at two different times, and in 
1821-22 was the postmaster. The post office occupied a part 
of the house in which he lived, which is now standing, and is 
the lirst one south of the bridge on the west side of the street. 
He preached about two years at Harwich, Mass., and about the 
same length of time at New Bedfurd. He then removed to 
Abington, Mass., where he remained about eight years, a part 
of which time he was the pastor of the church there. He then 
removed to Fiskeville, R. I., and preached about two years, 
also about two years at Chepachet. For the last twenty-five 
years of his life he lived in East Stoughton, preaching as he 
had opportunity to various churches, but without being settled 
as a pastor. On the death of his father he was left with some 
property, from which he derived a comfortable support during 
the latter years of his life. For many years previous to his 
death he made an annual pilgrimage to the scenes of his early 
labors, where he was always welcomed to the pulpit of the 
church and to the homes of the people. 

Elder Cartis was followed in the pastoral office by Rev. 
Levi Walker, M. D., wlio united with the church Janu- 
ary 2, 1819, though it appears he had preached to the 
church already two years. Business in the village of 
Crompton was in a depressed state, growing out of the 
failure of the manufacturing company, and the church 
found itself less able than usual to support a pastor. I 
find on the records of the church a vote bv which they 
agreed to raise for Dr. Walker the sum of fifty dollars 
for the 3'ear. The doctor found it necessary to eke out - 
his small salary by exercising his skill in the healing art. 
Though the scriptures declare that man shall not live by 
bread alone, they do not ignore the fact that some bread 
is necessary. Mr. Walker remained the pastor until 
December, 1819, and then took a letter and united with 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 327 

the church at Preston, Conn., where he became the 
pastor. 

Dr. Walker was bora in 1784. His childhood was spent in 
Livermore, Maine. Ho experienced religion about the year 
1804, and was for about twelve years a zealous Methodist 
preacher. His views on the subject of bapti-m underwent a 
change, and he united with the Baptist Church in Fall lliver, 
then under the pastoral care of Elder Borden. In 1807 he 
married Phebe Burroughs, a daughter cf Elder Pelcg Bur- 
roughs, pastor of the Free Will Baptist Church, in Tiverton, 
E. I. Dr. Walker preached in Fall iliver. New Bedford and 
Edgartown previous to his settlement over this church. After 
leaving Preston, Conn., he removed to Norlh Stonington, 
where he continued to preach and practice medicine until 
about the time of his death. He died in Winstead, Conn , at 
the age of 87. " As a preacher he was clear, logical and con- 
vincing, risir.g at times to points of highest excellence, both in 
matter and manner." He possessed considerable skill as a 
physician. He had three sons who entered the ministry, viz.: 
Eev. W. C. Walker, now State Missionary in Connecticut; 
Eev. Levi Walker, Jr., deceased, and Eev. O. T. Walker, for 
several years pastor of Bowdoin Square Church, Boston, now 
pastor of the Third Baptist Church, Providence. 

The third pastor. Rev. Jonathan Wilson, received a 
call from the church to the pastorate April 5, 1823, 
which he accepted, and united with the church June 8th 
following, and remained until February 19, 1830. Dur- 
ing this period a slight diflSculty arose, occasioned by a 
portion of the church desiring to have a j^oung brother 
whom the church had licensed, preach half the time and 
Mr. Wilson the other half. Mr. Wilson went off to the 
southern part of the State and preached about six 
months, the Rev. Seth Ewer, an agent of the State Con- 
vention, preaching in the meantime. He then returned 
and resumed his labors to the above date. Elder Wilson 
is spoken of as an able preacher, but was not thoroughly 
established in his religious sentiments. He went west 
and became a Millerite. As late as 1847 he returned to 
the east, and preached a few weeks in Providence, with 
the expectation of being soon translated to heaven. It 
is said he carried his ascension robes with him in his 
preaching journeys. About this time he made a visit to 



328 HISTORY OF WABWICK. 



Centreville, calling on John Allen, who, doubtless, 
scratched his elbow, but refused to be converted to the 
views of his former pastor. His subsequent history is 
unknown. 

The fourth pastor was Rev. Arthur A. Ross, who 
united with the church July 4, 1830, and closed his 
labors December 18, 1834. The parsonage house was 
built by Henry Hamilton for John Allen, in 1831, who 
afterwards gave it to the church. 

Elder Ro?s was born in Connecticut, October, 1790. Mr. 
Ross' first settlement was in Thompson, Conn., in 1819, where 
he remained four years. He was pastor successively at Che- 
patchet, one or two years; Fall Eiver, Mass., three years; Bris- 
tol, Warwick and Coventry Church, First Church, Newport, 
seven years; Lonsdale, two years; Natick, and the Second, or 
High Street Church, at Pawtucket. the latter place about two 
years. He died in Pawtucket, June 16, 1864, in his seventy- 
fourth year, and was buried in the cemetery of his wife's rela- 
tives near Cumberland Hill. During his ministry he baptised 
over 1400 persons. He was h laborious and successful pastor, a 
plain, outspoken preacher. While pastor at Newport he pub- 
lished a discourse, " Embracing the Civil and Religious History 
of Rhode Island," from the first settlement of the island to the 
close of the second century. 

The fifth pastor. Rev. Thomas Dowling, united with 
the church June 5, 1836 ; closed his labors August, 1840. 

Mr. Dowling was born in Brighton, Sussex county, England, 
April 2, 1S09. He is a brother of Rev. John DoAvling, D. D., 
of New York. Baptised by Rev. Charles Carpenter, pastor of 
the Baptist Church, Somer's Town, London; was licensed to 
preach in October, 1830, and labored as a local preacher in 
London and vicinity until September, 18.33, when he sailed for 
this country. Was ordained as jiastor of the Baptist Church 
in Catskill, N. Y., January 14, 1834; become pastor at Tru- 
mansburg, N. Y., January 1, 18:i5, from which place he came 
to tbis church. From here he went to the Third Church in 
North Stoniugton, Conn., and has continued to labor in that 
State ever since, (with the exception of two years at Agawam, 
Mass.,) having been settled as pastor at Willimantic. Central, 
Thompson, Tolland, and other places. In 1878 he resumed the 
pastorate at Tolland, where he now resides. 

Mr. Dowling probably closed his labors as pastor a 
short time previous to his taking a letter from the 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 329 

church, as during the interval preceding the settlement 
of the next pastor, Rev. Dr. D. W. Phillips, now Presi- 
dent of the Nashville Institute, in Tennessee, but then a 
student of Brown University, supplied the church for 
about six months, preaching at the Tin Top and the 
Store Chamber. Dr. Phillips recently revisited the 
scene of his early labors, and preached for the church on 
the second Sabbath of June of the present year, receiving 
a contribution from the church and Sabbath school of 
f 72 00 for the work in which lie is engaged. 

The sixth pastor was Rev. Thomas Wilkes, who united 
with the church November 8, 1840 ; closed his labors 
August, 1842. 

Mr. Wilkes subsequentlj'- removed to the city of New York, 
where he miuistered to a congregation of Swedeuborgians. His 
ministry there appears to have been of short duration. The 
three principal members of his congregation, from whom he 
received his principal pecuniary support, it is said, failed him; 
one died, another failed in business, and the third removed 
from the city. Of his subsequent history I have no knowledge. 

January 16, 1842, six persons were dismissed to unite 
with others at Phenix to form a new Baptist church, 
and the pastors and three delegates were appointed to 
attend the council to be held there on the 20th of that 
month. 

As we look over the records to learn what measure of 
prosperity attended the efforts of the church during this 
second period of its history, we conclude that God blest 
their efforts abundantly. There were special seasons of 
refreshing, to which we shall refer hereafter, and seasons 
of spiritnal drought ; times when they were led to 
rejoice, and others when thej- were in heaviness. Up to 
this time the church had a large field to cultivate com- 
pared with its present limited one. Previous to 1840 
there was no other church of the same order in any of 
the villages about us. Since then the churches at 
Phenix, Natick, Coventry Central, the present Quidnick 
Church, and the one at Old Warwick, have all been 
organized. The population was, also, almost entirely 
native, where now it is so largely foreign. 



330 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



The third and last period of its history, extending from 
1843 to the present time, is more generally known, and 
will be considered briefly. 

On February 21, 1843, a special church meeting was 
held in Centreville, but at what house the record does 
not indicate. At this meeting among those present, now 
living among us, and as interested in the present progress 
of the church now as at that time, were Bro. Albert H. 
Arnold and Deacon Alfred Dawley. " Bro. John Allen 
made a proposition to the church that he would build a 
meeting house for them on condition that the church 
would build a vestry to place the house upon." The 
church voted to accept the offer. An agreement was 
then made as follows, Bro. Allen agreed to build a house 
of wood, " 40 by 50 feet, paint and furnish the same in 
modern style excepting cushions and lamps." The 
church agreed to purchase a lot and build a vestry in a 
style to correspond with the house, furnish it with cush- 
ions, lamps, bell, furnace, iind also to fence the lot. The 
agreement was faithfully carried out, and the house in 
due time solemnly dedicated to God. The lot cost $400 ; 
$1400 further were expended by the church ; Bro. Allen 
expended 12300, making the total cost 14100. 

The dedication was a season of great joy to the church. 
Rev. John Dowling, then pastor of the Pine Street 
Church, Providence, preached the sermon ; Rev. Edward 
K. Fuller, pastor. Rev. J. Brayton and others partici- 
pated in the services. Thiity-five years had now elapsed 
since their first sanctuary, the Tin Top, was dedicated, 
and now a second temple had been raised and set apart 
to the same service. As the church reviewed her history 
she had abundant reason to thank God and take courage. 

John Allen, to whom the church was indebted so much from 
the time of its organization, was one of the constituent mem- 
bers of the church, and for " nearly thirty years" its clerk. 
Keference has been made to him iii connection witli the ac- 
count of the village of Centreville. He died July 26, 1845. His 
painted portrait is in possession of Mrs. Alexander Allen, of 
Centreville. He gave the church also the parsonage house and 
lot, and bequeathed on the death of his widow, the lot of land 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 331 



on the north of it. The following is an extract from his last 
will devising this land : 

" I give and devise to the First Baptist Society in Warwick, 
the lot of land north of the Parsonage after my wife's decease, 
the same to be hekl and possessed by said society, their suc- 
cessors forever, for the use of the pastor of the Warwick and 
Coventry Baptist Church, in addition to his salary, reserving a 
passage way lo my burial lot." 

Mr.Allen in his will devised the lot of land now called Point 
Pleasant Cemetery, opposite the Baptist Parsonage, and his 
farm of about eighty acres in West Greenwich, to the American 
Tract Society; six shares in theWarwick Manufacturing Co., and 
thirty-five shares in the Providence and Pawcatnck Turnpike 
Co., with several acres of land south of the Baptist parsonage, 
to the Missionary Union; ten shares in the City Bank, Provi- 
dence, for the support of a missionary in China; two shares in 
the Warwick Manufacturing Co., tifty-three shares in the Ccn- 
treville Bank, and sixteen shares in the Bank of Kent, Coventry, 
for Home Missions; to the R. I. Bajitist State Convention, thirty- 
four shares in the Bank of Kent, Coventry, and thirty-seven 
pews in the " Tin Top " meetiug house, and twenty-five 
shares in the Centrcville Bank, to the American and Foreign 
Bible Society — all these bequests to be paid after the death of 
his wife. 

The seventh pastor was Rev. Edward K. Fuller, who 
united with the church August, 1843 ; closed his labors 
April 15, 1846. 

Mr. Fuller was licensed to preach by the Second Baptist 
Church, Providence, June, 1836. Ordained by the " Indepen- 
dent" Baptist Church, Pavvtucket, (now High street) April 4, 
1838, where he remained three years. Was two years General 
Agent of the R. I. Sunday School Union. After leaving here 
he was pastor at Somerset, Medford, Reading, in Mass^achu- 
setts. South Providence, Kew York City, New London and Ja- 
maica, L. I. Now laboring as an Evangelist. Residence, Prov- 
idence, R. I. 

The eighth pastor was Rev. George A. Willard, who united 
with the church May 1, 1847; closed" his labors July 1st, 1850. 
Mr. Willard was born in Lancaster, Mass., in 1810; ordained 
August 29, 184.J, at Cummington, Mass., where he preached 
until 1847. He was pastor atOld Warwick from 1850 to 1859; 
He opened there a Family Boarding School for Boys, which he 
kept until 1807, preaching as he had opportunity at Natick and 
other places; was for some time Town Superintendent of Public 
Schools. He is at present a pastor at Aslifield, Mass. 

The ninth pastor was Rev. Jonathan Bray ton, who 



332 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

commenced preaching to the church Aug. 25, 1850 ; 
closed his labors January 1st, 1854. 

The tenth pastor was Rev. L. W. Wheeler, who 
preached about a year. Mr. Wheeler has recently set- 
tled as pastor of the Baptist Church in Jefferson, N. H., 
having removed from Lyme Centre, of the same state. 
A letter forwarded to him failed of a response. The 
church after Mr. Wheeler left was destitute of a pastor 
for a year or more, when Mr. Bray ton was recalled and 
commenced laboring April 1, 1857, and continued until 
ill health compelled him to relinquish his charge in Jan- 
uary, 1859. He however continued to preach occasionally 
being assisted during the remainder of the year by Mr. 
C. C. Burrows, a student of Brown University. 

Rev. Jonathan Brayton was born at Cranston, June 12, 1811. 
Baptized at Knightsville, when about sixteen years old, by 
Elder Pardon Tillingliast. At eighteen years of age he went 
to Providence to learn the carpenter's trade, where with a few 
others, he united in the organization of a Six Principle Baptist 
church, now known as the Boger Williams Church. Assisted 
in building a meeting-house for the church (which was subse- 
quently burnt.) While at work on the inside of the steeple, he 
accidentally fell a distance of sixty feet, striking on the staining 
on the way down, breaking his leg and otherwise injuring him, 
and was taken up insensible. This concluded his carpentering 
work and changed entirely his course of life. His thoughts 
were now turned to study and a pieparation for the ministry. 
Taught school three years in i'all River, preaching during a 
part of the time at Tiverton, and then went to Hamilton Uni- 
versity and took the Theological Course, preaching to the 
neighboring churches diu'ing the time. Here he was ordained 
by the Faculty. Came east and began preaching in Phenix, in 
1841-2, his labors resulting in the formation of the Baptist 
chiu-ch in that village. During the winter and spring 119 were 
baptized; for about two years of his stay at Phenix he preached 
monthly at Natick, and often at Fiskeville. For several years 
on account of illness did not preach.- In l.'^ol, preached at 
Quidnick and assisted in organizing a church, preaching 
half the day at Crompton for upwards of three years. At the 
conclusion of his labors at Quidnick. went to High Street 
Church, Pawtucket, and labored a year and a half, when he 
relumed to Crompton Chuix'h. 

In 1858-9 the meeting house was thoroughly repaired, 
the galleries cut down, new pulpit put in, &c. 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 333 



The present pastor, Oliver Payson Fuller, was called 
by the church December, 1859 ; commenced labor Jan- 
uary, 1860 ; united with the church March 4th, by letter 
from the church in Canton, Massachusetts, by which he 
was licensed ; ordained March 7, and continues to preach, 
quails ah incepto. 

Mrs. Audrey S. Bricrg-s, widow of the late James 
Bi'iggs, died July 27, 187^1 In her will, she bequeathed 
the sum of ¥50 to the church. Both she and her hus- 
band united with the church January 7, 1857, and were 
devoted members uniil their death. 

In 1866, further changes and improvements were 
made in the meeting house ; the ante-rooms were parti- 
tioned off, the orchestra window put in, and a new 
Mason & Hamlin organ, costing $125 was given by Gen. 
James VVaterhouse. In 1873, the house was again repaired, 
the interior handsomely frescoed, &c., the whole costing 
about $1,200. 

Christopher C. Burrows, a member of the chmch was 
ordained to the work of tlie ministry July 13, 1863, 
while a member of Brown University, but did not enter 
upon a pastorate until 1869, when he settled at Davis- 
ville, in this State. 

Mr. Burrows was born at Busty, Cliautauque County, I^. Y., 
April 2.'5, ls-25. While at Davisviile, he baptized 112 persons, 
lie resiirned his charge at J.^avisville, in 1878, to take charge of 
the Broadway, i5apti~t Church, Providence. He is settled at 
the present time in LyuQ, Mass. 

The following persons have been licensed by the church: 
Samuel Greene, November 20, 1818 ; Charles Weaver, 
March 24, 1828 ; Henry Clark, Feb. 25, 1832 ; Thomas 
Tew, Apiil 11. 1837 ; William Lawless, December 29, 
1845. 

Samuel Greene never settled as a pastor. He died a few 
years ago at an advanced age. in (Jovntty. 

Charles Weaver was bora in Coventry, April 11. 1803; bap- 
tized in Washington Village, February, ls28. Married Diana 
l^orLhup, .June, l82:j; commenced preaching at Anthony Vil- 
lage, February 10, 182S: orgjimzed a iSabiiath School at the 
"Tin Top' June 1st, 1828; ordaineci at Fit keville, April 16. 
29 



334 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



1829; left Fiskeville, in 1833, and was pastor successively at 
Plainfiekl, thiee years, Voluntown, six years, Suffield, four 
years, Jv'orwich, four yoars, Noank, eleven years and Volun- 
town. tlie second lime, from 1871 to ihe present time. In an 
interesting letter dated April 13, 1875, Mr. Weaver says he has 
baptized lot. U converts, and has "been preaching forty seven 
years, and have never seen a single Sabbath that 1 was not able 
to preach." 

Henry Clark was bom in Canterbury, Ct., November 12, 
1810. lie commenced teaching in Centre ville in 182'.), boarding 
in the family of John Allen. In tlie summer of 1830 he was 
baptizid by Elder Eoss,and united with this church. His first 
attempt to preach was in the " Store Chamber" on the day 
that he was licensed to preach. In 18;j4, he married Mary 
Dorrance of Anthony Village, who is slill living though their 
children seven in number, have all died. He studied at the 
Hamilton Literary and Theological Insiitution. He Avas or- 
dained i^astor of the church at 8eekonk, Ma-s , in .lune, 1834, 
and remained ihree years; was pastor successively in '1 aunton, 
for two and a half years from 1837; Canton, Mas*., in 1810 to 
1812; Kandoli)h, 1812 to 181ii, when his health failing, he lelin- 
quished the ])astorate uniil 1870, when he became jiastor at 
Kenosha, AViseonsiu. In 1872, he settled ovi r the church at 
Pewaukee, same State, remaining two years, when he returned 
to his former charge in the city ot Kenosha, where he f^till 
remains. During his ministry he has baitized about 300 
persons. 

Thomas Tew, licensed as above, preached for a while 
in different places, and became the agent of the Rhode 
Island Temperance Organization. A letter of inc|uiry 
respecting him, addressed to his son, failed of a reply. 

William Lawless, thongh a member of the ciuirch 
never lived here. His residence being in Bristol, where 
he died a few years ago. He was never orelained but 
continued to exercise his gifts in public as he had oppor- 
tunity. 

The following persons have served the church as dea 
cons: Alexander Shaw, Palmer Tanner, Caleb Lacld, 
Ephraim Martin, Warren Eice, James Tilluy, Edwin 
Miller, Thomas Tilley, N. T. Allen, Jesse Brown, Ira 
Stillman. Pardon Spencer, Alfred Dawley, Asa Cran- 
dall. The last three are the present worthy deacons. 

K. T. Allen was dismissed by letter to nnitewith thePhenix 
church soon after its organization, and from which he received 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 335 

a license to preach. He was ordained at Waterford, Conn. 
Angust lS4tJ; was pastor successively, at Groton, six years, 
Kaiick, two years, Jewett City, twelve years. He tlien returned 
to Groiou wlierj lie h:is beeu settled the past six years. 

Thp following persons have seived the church as 
clerks ; Barnabas Greene, John Allen. Whipple A. Ar- 
nold, William Brown, Robert Bennett, Pardon Spencer, 
and Charles T. Carpenter. 

The records fail to give the names of those who have 
served as treasurers. Among those of the past twenty- 
years, ai'e Dea. Pardon Spencer, John J. Wood, Deacon 
Alfred Dawley, Peleg Brown, Amos Johnson, James E. 
Whitford, and Gideon B. Whitford. 

Is early seventy years have elapsed since tlie organiza- 
tion of the church. The fathers and mothers have all 
departed, but the great truths of the gospel which taught 
them how to live and how to die, remain the same for 
the instruction of their successors. Tiie word of the 
Lord endtires forever. In looking over the records I 
find that there has been at least twenty years in the his- 
tory of this church when at least fifteen persons per year 
have been added to its number; six years in which not 
less than forty per year were added ; three years when 
not less than eighty per year were added, and one year 
when ninety-three were added. The whole number 
added during the whole time has been about eight hun- 
dred and forty-five, one hundred and one of whom have 
united during the present pastorate, upwards of seventy 
of them being by baptism. The present number is one 
hundred and ten. 

The following is a brief account of the Sabbath School 
connected with the Warwick and Coventry Baptist 
Church : 

The earliest item that I have been able to find of an authentic 
character respecting the Sabbath School connected with this 
church, is that furnished by Miss Abby Sweet, a lady now in 
her 77th year, who says she attended a Sabbath School in the 
old vveave shop, when she was about thirteen years of ajze, or 
in the year 1811. The school she says was conducted by James 
Smith, a man from Connecticut. In the winter of 1816-17, 
Major Jonathan Tiffany, who was then tlie agent or manager 



336 HISTORY OF WABWIUK. 



of the mills in Crompton, then called the Stone Factory, rep- 
resented to Mr. Obadiah IJrown, of Providence, the religious 
needs of the place. Mr. Jirown gave a dozen bibles, and two 
dozen testaments for the use of a Sabbath School which was 
then in progress. Deacon Shaw was superintendent of the 
school. It was held in the old weave shop and subsequently in 
the " Hall" house. For several years after Deacon >haw left, 
there was no school, and only at irregular intervals until the 
summer of 1827, when James Greene became the superinten- 
dent, and continued the school through the summer and per- 
haps, the following summer. It does not appear that the 
school continued through the winter seasons until it found 
quarters in the " Store Chamber," in the year 1830, when there 
were facilities for warming the room comfortably. On the 
evening of May 25lh, 18.JL), a meeting was held, which adopted 
the following preamble and consiitution: 

" Whkreas, we the subscribers being desirous of improving 
the morals of the children and youth in our village, and of 
affortiing them the means of such instruction as is consistent 
with the sacredness of the Christian Sabbath; and believing 
that Sabbath hchools are eminently calculated to effect these 
objects, we unite in a society and agree to adopt the following 

CONSTITUTION. 

Article 1. This society shall be called the Crompton 
Mills Female Sabbath School Society in Warwick, auxiliary to 
the Rhode Islaud Sunday School Union. 

Art. 2. An}' per,-on may become a member of this society 
by signing th ■; constitution and paying 12^ cents per quarter. 

Art. 3. There shall be a President, Secretary and Treasurer 
and board of Directors." 

The remaining articles prescribe the duties of the officers, 
and the appointment of a Superintendent and teachers, who 
were to have the immediate over.'^ight of the school. 

The quarterly payments were exacted of those who became 
members of the society. The Sabbath School was free to all. 
In some places, in the early history of the Sabbath School 
work, the teachers were paid as in the week day schools, but it 
does not appear that any were thus paid in connection with this 
p.chool. 

To this constitution were appended the names of seventy-tive 
persons, of whom Crawford Titus, John J. Woo i, James Tilley, 
Silas Clapp, John Spencer, Jr., George A. Bailey, Pardon 
Spencer, Jonathan L. IMerce, Jeremiah Randall and Jonathan 
Steadraan, were the first ten. On the evening of May 26, 
Crawford Titus, acting as moderator, Pardon Spencer was 
chosen president, for the ensuing year; John J. Wood, treas- 
urer; Leonard Loveland, superintendent ; Washington Wilkin- 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 337 



son and James Tille}-, a Board of Directors. On June 5th, 
1880. a series of rules for the government of the school were 
adopted.* 

At a-special meeting held August 16, 1830, Crawford Titus, 
John Spencer, Jonathan Smith, Philip Brayton, Mrs. Titus, 
Mrs. Remington, Mrs. Whitman, Mrs. Cook Mrs. Clapp, Mrs. 
Smith, Miss Lydia "^mith, Mrs. Higgins, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. 
J^earce, were appointed a committee to examine the school. 
Crawford Titus was appointed Librarian. Elder Ross was 
requested, by vote, to deliver an address to the school the fol- 



* As these rules are somewhat unique in character we give them in 

" Rule 1. The duty of the Superintendent shall be to see that each 
scholar is in the right class; also to see that there is a teacher to each 
class; to take the name of each scholar and enter it on his book; also 
to record the names of the best scholars which tlie teachers may report 
to him; and also to see that a clm|)ter is read from the scriptures at 
the opening of the scliool, and that it is closed with prayer. 

2. It shall be the duty of the teachers of the Testament classes to 
hear the recitations, and attenel to reading in the Testament twice; in 
spelling twice, and spell i>ut of the book once. The remaining time 
until the close of the school shall be improveel in' reading, spelling, 
conversation, or any instruction the teacher shall find necessary for 
the improvement ot the scholars. 

3. Classes reading in the Spelling Book shall read and spell the same 
number of times as the Testament classes; remaining time to be im- 
proved in the same manner. 

4. Any scholar behaving in an unbecoming manner, the teacher 
sliall rejiort him to the Superintendent and he shall put him in the bad 
schoLirs' class. 

5. If by disobedience they continu;i in the bad scholars' class four 
Sabbaths, the Superintendent shall report tbem to their parents. 

(>. If such scholar or scholars attend the school the next Sabbath 
after being reported to their parents and behave themselves properly 
for the day, they shall be received into their former class; if not, at the 
close of the school, such scholar or scholars shall be dismissed from 
the school until they will become obedient to its rules. 

7. The teachers of those classes which have the privilege of taking 
books from the library, shall report to the Superintendent those schol- 
ars who merit books. 

8. Those scholars that attend the school more than nine Sabbaths 
in a quarter shall be rewarded according to the number of Sabbaths 
they attend. 

9. It shall be the duty of each teacher every Sabbath to endeavor 
to impress upon the minds of the scholars the importance of obedience 
to their parents and teachers, of constant and early attendance at 
school, and good behavior in and out of school, of getting their lessons 
well and keeping the Sabbath day holy; of not iiiduljiing in ])rofane 
language and lying, nor in any of the vices which youth are exposed 
to; using such arguments to enforce their instructions as are suited to 
the capacity of their scholars. 

10. It shall be the duty of the Stiperintendent to read, or cause to be 
read, these rules at the opening of the school every second Sabbath," 

*29 



338 HISTOKY OF WARWICK. 



lowing Sabbath. April 9, 1831, Pardon Spencer was re-elected 
President, Leonard J^oveland and Sanford Durfee superin- 
tendents; Crawford Titus librarian. At this meeting the 
admission foe was reduced to twenty-five cents per year, and 
at the annual meeliug the following year the leachers were 
admitted free. Mr. Durfee continued in the othce of superin- 
tendent until the year 1848, and was followed by Mr. Jesse 
Brown for a year or two, when Dea. Pardon Spencer was 
elected, and continued in office until the spring of 1S71, since 
which time Eev. J. lirayton has filled the office. The other 
officers at present are Cliarlea M. i^eikell, assistant superin- 
tendent; Charles T. Carpenter, secretary; Job Spencer, treas- 
urer, and John Northup, librarian. 



NATICK FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. 

The church was organized on the 28d of November, 
1839, and was composed of sixteen persons of regular 
Baptist Churches, residing in the village and its vicinity. 
Alauson Wood was appointed deacon, and Fa3^ette 
Barrows, clerk. On the 'if/th of December, following, a 
council, composed of delegates from the First, Second, 
Third and Fourth Churches of Providence, the Paw- 
tucket, the Warwick and Coventry, the Arkvvright and 
Fiskeville, and the Quidnesett, assembled and after the 
usual examination, publicly recognized the body as the 
Natick First Baptist Church. 

The first members received by the new church were 
Pardon Spencer and his wife, Sybil Spencer who were 
received Jan. 26, 1840, by letter from the Exeter Bap- 
tist Church, the hand of fellowship being given by Rev. 
S. S. Mallory. The first member received by baptism 
was sister S. Thornton, who was baptized by Rev. 
Thomas Tew, May 21, 1840. The church was received 
into the Warren Association, Sept. 9, 1840. On Nov. 
16, of this year, Rev. Arthur A. Ross accepted the invi- 
tation of the church to become its pastor, " while he 
continues in this village." This pastorate of Mr. Ross 
ajjpeais to have been of short duration, as on Feb. 18, 
1841, the church appointed " a committee to supply the 
pulpit.'' At the same meeting, George K. Clark was 



NATICK FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. 339 



appointed a deacon. On June 25, 1841, Smith. W. 
Pearce was elected clerk, and sewed in that capacity 
until he was appointed deacon, Dec. 25, 1847. April 
14, 1842, Samuel Peterman was appointed deacon in 
place of Deacon Wood, who had removed from the vil- 
lage. The year, 1842, was a prosperous year to the 
church, during which time a large number united with 
the church, among them some who continued many 
years to be the faithful burden bearers of the church. 
On March 20, 1843, the church invited Rev. Jonathan 
Brayton to the pastorate of the church ; Mr Brayton 
accepted and continued in this relation until June 23, 1844. 
He was also pastor at the same time of the Phenix 
Church. 

On April 25, 1847, Rev. Arthur A. Ross was again 
called to the pastorate of the church. In June, 1849, 
Moses Whitman was appointed the Tiustee of the Re- 
lief Fund. This fund was raised by voluntary contri- 
butions, for the relief of the poor connected with the 
chiirch. On December 4th, 1851, Rev. Stephen Thomas, 
who had previously been connected with the Six Princi- 
])le Baptists, and had changed his views to those held by 
this church, was invited to assume the pastoral care of 
the church. Mr. Thomas accepted the invitation and 
was publicly installed as pastor, June 2d, 1852. He 
continued to preach until Rev. N. T. Allen commenced 
his labors. Mr. Allen became pastor January, 1855, 
having preached for the church several months previous 
to that date. He resigned Nov. 4, 1855. 

Rev. A. Sherwin was publicly recognized as pastor of 
the church, July 2, 1856, and remained one year, when 
he resigned and became pastor of the High Street Bap- 
tist Church at Pawtucket. For about six months fol- 
lowing the resignation of Mr. Sherwin, Rev. O. P. 
Fuller, then a student of Brown University, supplied the 
church, and until the Rev. Geo. Mathews commenced 
his labors. The closing part of the year 1857, was the 
year of the general revival throughout the country, and 
this church shared in the spiritual blessings, forty-one 



340 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

persons nniting with the church by baptism. Mr. 
Mathews accepted the pastoral care of the church, March 
30, 1858, and resigned* April 9, 1859. 

From this time until the fall of 1863, the church was 
supplied by different persons, chiefly by Rev. Harris 
Howard, who finally left to accept a commission as chap- 
lain in the army. Rev. George L. Putnam Avas called 
to the pastorate Nov. 7, 1863, commencing his lal)ors as 
pastor in the December following, and closed in the 
autumn of 1865. On Sept. 22, 1866, Rev. J. H. Tilton 
was invited to become pastor, and commenced ISTov. 18, 
1866, closing June 13, 1869. He was followed by Rev. 
Charles L. Frost on July 4, 1869, who continued to 
preach until July 4, 1875. His wife, Henrietta 
Frost, died March 6, 1873. The present pastor. Rev. 
Warren S. Emery, was invited by the church to assume 
its j)astoral care, August 24, 1875. 

The following persons have served the church as dea- 
cons, viz. : Alanson Wood, George K. Chirk, Christopher 
S. Warner, Smith W. Pearce, Henry A. Bowen, George 
W. Hariington, Moses Wightman and S. H. Tillinghast. 

The following persons have served as clerks, viz. : 
Fayette Barrows, Smith W. Pearce, John D. Spink, 
John W. Money, Henry A. Bowen, Wm. H. Potter and 
Byron T). Remington. 

On December 27, 1847, the church licensed Deacon 
George K. Clark to preach the gospel. On January 12, 
1871, the church met with a severe loss, in the death of 
George W. Harrington, who had served the church as a 
deacon since his appointment, May 2, 1859. Deacon 
Harrington was a warm-hearted, sincere christian man, 
and is held in giateful remembrance. Early in the pre 
sent year the church met with a still severer loss, in the 
death of Deacon Moses Wightman, who had been con- 
nected with the church since 1842. The following ap- 
pteciative lines are taken from the " Watchman and 
Meflector,^^ published a short time alter his death: — 

"In Warwick, R. I., January 15, 1875, Deacon Moses 
Wightman, in the 6Sth year of his age. Brother Wightman, at 



SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHUECH. 341 



the time of his death, had been a respected and beloved mem- 
ber of the Baptist Church, of XKtick, for about thirty years. 
The Providence Journal, referring to him, justly says: 'uniting 
with the church at Kalick in early life, he became one of its 
leading members, and though naturally of a retiring disposition, 
idenlifled hmiself with whatever tended to promote the peace 
and prosperity of the communily. Few men in the quiet 
walks of life, with the advaniages he possessed, can hope to 
accomplish more of real good to a village, than resulted from 
his simple unostentatious life. With a heart, full of warm len- 
der emotions, kind and sympathizing to those in distress, the 
village was made better every time he passed through it. Dea. 
W. was a peace ranker, both within and without" the church; 
wise in counsel, though not forward in giving advice; upright 
and honest from princii)le; cheerful without levity; active, 
humble and consistent, in his religious life.' At his tuneral 
brief addresses were made by his pastor Rev. C. L. Frost, of 
Natick, Revs. O. P. Fuller and J. Brayton, of Centreville, 
with prayer by Rev. G. Robbiiis, of East Greenwich. He 
leaves a deeply iitflicted widow and one daughter, members of 
the same church. May the household of faith, so long and 
tenderly united, which has ' reason to mourn and reason also 
to rejoice,' be eventually reunited where the mourning will be 
lost in eternal rejoicing." 

SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHUUCH * 

In the spring of 1842, Kev. Jonathan E. Forbush 
commenced to labor here under the patronage of the 
R. I. Baptist State Convention. Some religious interest 
was awakened, and the statement of facts preliminary to 
the organization of the pre:eent church says there were 
some conversions and baptism. Into what church these 
converts' were baptized is not stated. Doubtless not the 
" old" church here, which is represented as indeed old 
and ready to vanish away. Mr. Forbush's work was to 
establish something more vigorous and vital than that 
seemed to be. 

The first record of a meeting looking to a church or- 
ganization is without date, but it was probably in Sep- 
tember or October, 1842. Five brethren and eleven 



* Tlie sketch of this Church is from the pastor, Rev. J. T. Smith. 



342 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

sisters met at the residence of John W. Greene. This 
meeting, besides consultation and prayer, appointed a 
committee of tliree to wait upon the Old Baptist Church 
and confer witli them in reference to the proposed move- 
ment, and adjourned to November 2, at same phxce. 

At the adjourned meeting the committee of confer- 
ence with the *' Old" Baj^tists reported — what, the record 
does not show, but it was unanimouslj^ resolved to push 
the churcli project ; November 16, was set for the recog- 
nizing council, and the churches to be sent to were spec- 
ified. A committee was appointed to report at an ad- 
journed meeting, Articles of Faith. At that meeting 
held Nov. 9, the committee reported the New Hampshire 
Articles, as then published, which were adopted. Two 
sisters related their experience, and were received for 
baptism. 

Nov. 16, 1812, the Council assembled, as called, at the 
Old Warwick Baptist Meeting House. It was consti- 
tuted as follows : — 

First Providence — Brethren, Pardon Miller, Hugh H. Brown, 
Oliver Johnson. 

Second Providence. — Rev. Edward K. Fuller, brethren John 
Clemmons, John T. Lawton. 

Third Providence. — Rev. Thorndike C. Jameson, brethren 
N. iMason, William C. Barker. 

Pawtnxet. — Rev. Bowen, brethren R. N". N'iles, Reming- 
ton Smith. 

Lippitt and Phenix. — Rev. J. Brayton, brethren R. W. At- 
wood, Nicholas T. Allen, Wm. B. SiDencer. 

East Greenwich. — Rev. J. H. Baker. 

The Council, which had for Moderator, Rev. T. C. 
Jameson, and Rev. E. K. Fuller, Clerk, took the custom- 
ar}' action in such cases, and adjourned for public services 
of recognition, at 2 o'clock same day. It was duly held, 
Rev, J. II. Baker reading scriptures, Rev. T. C. Jameson 
preaching. Rev. E. K. Fuller offering prayer of recog- 
nition. Rev. J. Brayton giving the Hand of Fellowship, 
Rev. — Bowen addressing the Church, and Rev. .J. E. 
Forbush offering the concluding prayer. 



SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHURCH. 343- 

The Church was constituted with thirteen members, 
whose numes follow : 

Rev. J. E. rorbu>-h, (Pastor), Eliza H. Forbush, Benjamin 
Greene, Fiances Greene, John Ilolden, Hester B. Holdcn, 
Weltliy Poiter, Sai-ah Potter Greene, Sally Greene, Elizabeth 
Staffoid, Waite Lijjpitt Greene, Sally Holden Low, Sally Low 
Holden. 

Four of the above list survive, and are still, members 
of the church, viz. : John Holden, Hester B. Holden, 
Sally Greene, and Sally H. Low. 

At the first meeting of the recognized church, Benja- 
min Greene was chosen Deacon, and John Holden, 
Clerk. 

In March, 1845, Mr. Forbush closed his labors as pas- 
tor, removing to Westminster, Mass. During these two 
and a half years, the chui'ch was increased by two bap- 
tized and three added by letter. Two were dismissed 
and one died, leaving two, net gain — 15 members. In 
September, ot the same year, the church united with the 
Warren Association. 

Bev. Alfred Colburn was Mr. Forbush's successor lor 
three years from October, 1845. In this period, sojne 
revival interest brought eight additions to the church by 
bajitism and one by experience. Seven were also added 
by letter. There being only one diminution, dismissed ;. 
the net result was a doubling of the membership, 30. 

In April, 1848, John W. Greene was elected clerk, 
holding and honoring the office until April, 1873, since 
which time the pastor has served as clerk. 

Alter a year and a half of pastoral vacancy, in April, 
1850, llev. George A. Wihard, commenced the longest 
pastorate of the chtn'ch's hi.-tory, nine years, closing in 
Ma3^ 1859. It was not only long (for this church,) but 
measurably prosperous. Nearly everj^ year of its contin 
uiince, there were conversions and baptisms. 

In 1851, the parsonage house was Imilt at an expense 
of $51,400, on a half acre lot, the gift of Warren Lippitt, 
Esq., of Providence. x\t the same time the church was 
inccjrporated under the name of the "Shawomet Baptist 
Chinch, of Warwick." 



344 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

The changes in membership in the church in these nine 
years were : Additions by baptism, 28 ; by letter, 3 — 31. 
Diminutions, 14 dismissed, and 7 died — 21. Increase, 10, 
leaving a total of 40. 

In April, 1859, Deacon Benjamin Greene, removing 
from the place and the church, was succeeded in his 
office b}^ Brother John W. Greene, who held it till March, 
1871, wiien he was succeeded by the present Deacon, 
Elisha Farnham, who is also Sunday School Supeiin- 
tendent. 

For about three years, commencing March, 1860, Rev. 
Henry G. Stewart served as pastor. In this time, there 
were added 3 by baptism, 1 by expeiience, and 4 by 
letter — 8. There were 4 diminutions, 1 death, 2 dismis- 
sions, and 1 exclusion ; leaving a membership of 44. 

After one year of supplies. Rev. E. Ilayden Watrous 
commenced service as pastor in March, 1864. His brief 
term of two years — he resigned in February, 1866, to go 
to Lotisdale — was marked by the most fruitfid revival in 
the history of the churuh. The baptisms were 18 ; and 
5 were added by letter — 28. The diminutions in the 
same time weie 13 ; 5 by death and 8 dismissed, leaving 
a net increase of 10, and a membership of 54. 

From March, 1866, Rev. Charles H. Ham, of Provi- 
dence, served the church one year, as stated supply. In 
this year, 1 was baptized, 4 dismissed, and 1 died ; leav- 
ing a membership ol 50. 

For a little more than two years, until November, 1868, 
the church depended upon temporary supplies. During 
this period, there were no additions, while there were 8 
diminutions; 3 by death, 4 by dismission, and 1 by 
exclusion, reducing the total to 42. 

In November, 1868, the church iuMted Rev. J. Torrey 
Smith, of Woodstock, Ct., to assume the pastoral charge. 
Without accepting the call, he served them as stated 
supply till July, 1869, when he accepted and removed 
hither. 

The present pastorate, has been a term, largely, of 
discouraging up hill work, relieved occasionally by fea- 



SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHURCH. 345 



tures of success. No large revival has been enjoyed, yet 
the word has not been without as positive and marked 
fruit as is ever seen. During the six years there have 
been two seasons of increased religious interest, resulting 
in 16 additions by baptism. There have been also 6 
additions by letter — 22. The diminutions in the six 
years have been 15 — 12 dismissed, and 3 deaths. Net 
increase, 7 ; which makes the present membership, 49. 
(This is two less than our last report, but this is the 
present number by the list.) 

At the commencement of the present pastorate, exter- 
nal conveniences for the support of worship were very 
defective. The parsonage had been built twenty-four 
years, and had never received much repair. During Mr. 
Willard's occupancy of it, a boy's boarding school was 
kept in it, and after Mr. Stewart left, it was occupied, not 
by a pastor, but by temporary tenants, until 1869. 
Thorough repairs being needed, more than five hundred 
dollars have been raised, arid expended upon it. 

For the first thirty years of the church's history it had 
no place of worship which it could, in any sense, call its 
own. The " Old Warwick Baptist Meeting House " 
wus built in 1829 by proprietors, by whom, as a corpor- 
ation, under that name, it is owned and held. The 
charter gave a privileged use to the Baptist Church of 
the place, which, at that time, was the Six Principle 
Church, in its waning condition. 

When this church was organized in 1842, the Six 
Principle Church being quite feeble, and hastening to 
its apparant extinction, a considerable proportion of the 
members and families interested in the new organization 
were proprietors in the house. Quietly and by general 
consent this body succeeded to the use of the house, 
which they continued to use without interruption, as if 
it was their own. But by 1870 it had got quite out of 
repair, and was hardly comfortable or decent to use. 
But the proprietors could not be brought to any united 
action to repair it. The proprietors in the church were 
unwilling to spend their money upon a property which 

30 



346 HISTOKY OF WABWICK. 

the church had no corporate right or interest in. A 
project for building a house for the church, on a lot 
given them for the purpose by Marshall Woods, Esq., of 
Providence, failed of accomplishing anything for want of 
a sufBcient and united interest in it. Nothing, then, 
remained but to repair and use the existing house ; and 
this must be done, or the church must abandon her 
woik. 

To remove the obstacle which stood in the way of the 
previous effort of repairing, it became necessary to give 
the church, as a corporation, the essential ownership of 
the house. This was done by obtaining from individual 
owners of pews (?'. e., proprietors,) a transfer of their 
ownership to the church. By this means the church 
became a large and the controlling proprietor in the 
house. This being effected, there was no difficulty in 
securing a vote to repair the house, and assess the 
expense as a tax upon the pews. It was done to the 
expense, including a fuinace for heating, of about 
$'1,300. Some additional expense for furnishing was 
provided through the church. For these repairs of 
itieeting-house and parsonage in these six years the 
church has expended above $2,000, holding its parsonage 
property and fully three-fourths of the meeting-house 
property as its own, free of debt. Four thousand dollars 
would be a moderate estimate of the value of this church 
property. Looking at the numbers and the resources of 
the church, it seems like so much created out of nothing. 
A summary of the history shows the whole number of per- 
sons connected with this church, during these thirty-two years, 
to be 119. Of these were — 

Constituent members 13 

Added by bajitism 76 

Keceived by letter from other churches 28 

Received oa experience • • 2 — 11& 

Of these — 

Died while connected with the church 20 

Dismissed to other churches 48 

Exchided 2 

Present members 49 — 119 

This summary shows that this church has been 



PHENIX BAPTIST CHURCH. 347 

literally a recruiting station. The great bulk of its 
membership have been baptized on the field. It has 
dismissed to other churches nearly double the number 
it has received from other churches, and within one of 
the number it retains in its own connection. 



PHENIX BAPTIST CHUKCH. 

In the autumn of 1841, Rev. Jonathan Brayton, then 
under appointment as a missionary of the R. I. Baptist 
State Convention, "to labor at Natick and vicinity," 
conferred with one of the residents of Phenix in reference 
to holding religious services in that vicinity. At the 
October meeting of the Convention, held in Wickford, 
the subject was brought up, and the Board appointed 
the Rev. Tiiomas Wilkes, then pastor of the Warwick 
and Coventry Church, a committee " to look over the 
ground and see how much money could be raised to sup- 
port preaching." Mr. Wilkes visited the villages of 
Phenix and Lippitt, and obtained subscriptions to the 
amount of 130, and meetings were immediately com- 
menced in the school house. 

At the opening of the year 1842, a protracted meeting 
was commenced in the school-house, which soon became 
so interesting that all who wislied to attend could not 
be accommodated. They then applied to the Meth- 
odist society, who were then occupying the "Tatem" 
meeting-house, owned by Deacon Josiah Chapin, of 
Providence, for permission to occupy that house, which 
was courteously granted for two weeks. " As the presence 
of God was visibly felt, and some souls were converted 
almost as soon as tlie meetings commenced, the brethren 
and sisters, (twenty five in number,) members of regular 
Baptist churches residing in the vicinity, on the evening 
of January 10, agreed to organize themselves into a 
church of Christ, and were publicly recognized as such, 
by appropriate religious services, on the 20th of the 



348 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

same month.* The recognition services were held in the 
Tatem meeting-house before the two weeks granted 
them had expired. Rev. J. Dowhnp^, D, D., preached 
the sermon ; Rev. John H. Baker offered the prayer of 
recognition ; Rev. Thomas Wilkes gave the hand of 
fellowship, and Rev. J. R. Stone gave the charge to the 
church. The churcli assumed the name of " the 
Lippitt and PhenTx Baptist Church of Warwick, R. I." 
The male members who entered into the organization 
were the following: Jonathan Brayton, Thomas S. 
Wightman, William B. Spencer, Jeremiah Franklin, 
John B. Tanner, Benjamin Gardiner, Richard Gorton, 
Stephen Greene and Robert Card ; the female members 
were Weltha Spencer, Susan C. Tanner, Abby L. Tan- 
ner, Amey Franklin, Susan Albro, Mary W. Johnson, 
Mary A. Snell, Penelope Thurston, Mary A. Griffin, 
Martha Shippee, Susan Greene, Abby A. Gorton, Eda 
Gorton, Phebe Frye, Mary Card, and Mary Pearce. 
There were nineteen other accepted candidates for 
admission, making a total of forty-four. On January 
3()th, twenty-nine persons were baptized, and the ordi- 
nance of baptism was administered for three successive 
Sabbaths afterwards. From January 30 to March 6, 
seventy-eleven persons were baptized and united with 
the newly formed church. 

Soon after the recognition of the church, the time 
having expired during which they were allowed the use 
of the Tatem meeting-house, they returned to the school- 
house, which was found too small to accommodate those 
who wished to attend. Arrangements were soon made 
with a view of building a meeting-house, and a committee 
appointed to attend to the matter. The lot was gene- 
rously given by the Manufacturing Company, and the 
committee contracted with Dea. Charles Shaw, of 
Providence, to build a house, thirty-six feet by forty- 
eight feet, for 11800. The church built the foundation 
walls and painted the house. The house was owned by 

* Minutes R. I. Baptist State Conveutiou, April, 18i2. 



PHENIX BAPTIST CHURCH. 349 

stockholders, who were to receive interest on the money 
contributed. The vestry was not finished for use until 
several years after the upper room was occupied. After 
the vestry had been fitted up and other improvements 
made, it was found that the whole expense had amounted 
to about $3000. The stock subsequently became the 
property of the church by gift and purchase, and thus 
remained until the meeting-house was sold. 

Rev. Jonathan Bray ton was the first pastor, continuing 
as such seven or eight years. " Eev. Frederick Charlton 
served the church about nine months, followed by Rev. 
George D. Crocker, for about the same length of time." 
Christopher Rhodes also supplied the church for several 
months, coming from Providence on Saturday, and 
returning the following Monday. Bro. Rhodes was then 
a surveyor of lumber in Providence, and devoted his 
Sabbaths to supplying destitute churches. The church 
were so well pleased with Bro. Rhodes, that they obtained 
his promise that if he should decide to give up his 
secular business and settle as pastor over an}' church, he 
would come to Phenix, a promise that he afterwards 
fulfilled. 

In 1851, Rev. Benjamin F. Hedden, became pastor of 
the church, and continued thus for nearly four years, 
and was followed by Rev. Christopher Rhodes, whose 
pastorate continued from April, 1855, for about six years 
and a half 

In 1852, several of the brethren united and built a 
house for the pastor to live in, and rented it to the 
chuich, which arrangement continued until June, 1870, 
when the parsonage became the property of the church. 

During the pastorate of Mr. Rhodes, the congregation 
had so increased that it was deemed advisable to either 
enlarge their house of worship, or to build a new one, 
and on March 5, 1859, they " voted, that it is expedient 
to enlarge our meeting-house," and a committee com- 
posed of Wm. B. Spencer, S. E. Card, and S. H. Bray- 
ton, were appointed to attend to altering and enlarging 
the house. After examining the house, it was thought 

*30 



350 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

best to sell it and build a new one. " March 19th, 1859, 
it was voted, that the l)uilding committee appointed on 
the5thinst., be authorized and empowered to dispose of 
the meeting house and lot, or any part of the same, if 
they deem it for the interest of the church to do so, and 
on such terms as they think best, and if sold, they are 
hereby authorized to procure another lot and erect a 
meeting-house thereon, of such dimensions as will meet 
the wants of the church and society, the plans of said 
house being first approved by the church." The committee 
accordingly sold the meeting-house and lot for $1700, 
the church occupying it for the last time, October 2, 
1859. At a meeting of the church, held August 6, 
1859, " voted, that the committee appointed to sell the 
meeting-house and build a new one, be empowered to 
build such a house of worship, as in their judgment 
they think best" The lot upon which the church now 
stands was given by William B. Spencer. The committee 
contracted with Post & Tuesdell, of Rockville, Conn., 
who failed of carrying out the contract, when the matter 
returned to the committee, and after various delays the 
house was finally completed. The whole amount 
expended on the meeting-house and lot was $18,437.41. 
This included $325 for the clock, ($250 of which was 
generously given by Henry Howard, Esq.,) and a bell, 
weighing 1,609 pounds and costing $575.49. The vestry 
was occupied by the church, January 29, 1860, and the 
upper portion of the house in September, 1869. " It is a 
capacious and beautiful structure, with a steeple whose 
height is 162 feet from the ground. The edifice is not 
only an ornament to the village, but will compare favor- 
ably with any village-meeting house in the State. The 
church may well congratulate itself on the value of its 
church property, owning also a commodious parsonage ; 
all of the property being entirely free fromdebt." 

At the January session of the General Assembly, 
1850, the name of the church was changed to " The 
Phenix Baptist Church." 

In October, 1861, Rev. Bohan P. Bj^ram, now settled 



THE " ELDER TATEM CHUKCH," PHENIX. 351 

in Plymouth, Mass., became pastor, and remained until 
October, 1867. Rev. T. W. Sheppard, the present 
pastor, began his labors in April, 1868. 

The following persons have served the church as dea- 
cons : Thomas S. Wightman, John B. Tanner, Ray W. 
Atwood, J. Bailey, J. S. Kenyon, A. J. Burleson, W. T. 
Pearce, and W. W. Remington, the last four being now 
in service. 

The following have served as church clerks : — Wm. 
B. Spencer, Hiram Arnold, Wm. B. Spencer, a second 
term, and Vernum A. Bailey, the present clerk. 

In 1843, Nicholas T. Allen was licensed to preach, 
and in October, 1869, Henry V. Baker was also licensed 
to preach. 

The present number of members is 220. 



THE "ELDER TATEM CHURCH, PHENIX. 

The exact date of the organization of this church I 
have not been able to learn. In 1827, Elder Henry 
Tatem occupied the school-house, and until the erection 
of his meeting-house in 1829. This church edifice w£:s 
the first one built in the vicinity. The lot on which it 
stood, the same one now occupied by the Methodist 
church, was bought of Mr. Henry Snell, for $120. An 
act of incorporation was granted by the General 
Assembly at its January session, 1833, to Henry Tatem, 
Nicholas G. Potter, Benjamin R. Allen, Caleb Potter, 
Sheldon Colvin, Cyril Babcock, Ray W. Atwood, Cyrus 
Manchester, Jr., George P. Prosser, Reuben Wright and 
William Warner. Elder Tatem preached in this meeting- 
house until difficulties broke out which divided the 
church in 1837, when Elder Nicholas Potter succeeded 
him for a few months. Ekier Tatem was ordained in 
1816. The society became so feeble, they were obliged 
to sell their meeting-house which was purchased by 
Josiah Chapin, Esq., of Providence, in behalf of the 
Congregationalists. Rev. Russell Allen became the 



352 HISTORY OF WAKWICK. 

preacher under the new regime. Soon the Methodists 
hired the house, and in 1842 effected its purchase. It 
stood on the site of the present edifice erected by that 
society, until it was purchased by Governor Harris, who 
removed it to another part of the village, and altered it 
into tenements where it now stands. A published state- 
ment of the church now before me, designates it as the 
" First General Baptist Church in Warwick." It appears 
to have held to the denominational tenets of the Free- 
Will Baptists. A copy of the " Minutes of the first 
meeting of the Rhode Island Union Conference, held in 
Cranston, October 13 and 11, 1824," gives the names of 
the pastors and delegates of these churches as comprising 
the conference at that time, Elder Henry Tatem, of the 
Cranston Church, Elder Ray Potter, of the Pawtucket 
Church, and Elder Zalmon Tobey, of the " Fourth Bap- 
tist Church, in Providence." In their circular letter 
published in their minutes, they say, " We are confident 
that the real followers of the Lamb of equal piety and 
usefulness in the church may be found for instance 
among Calvinists and Arminians, notwithstanding their 
disagreement in opinion. We dare not, therefore, call 
that common and unclean which God has cleansed." 



FIRST FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH. 

This church was originally located in that portion of 
the town now becoming known as Greenwood, near the 
" High House," so called. Previous to the building of 
the meeting-house, meetings were held in a school-house, 
across the railroad, on or near the site of the present 
new dwelling of Mr. Collingwood. Elder Reuben Allen 
appears to have been the first pastor, and John Carder 
and John Gorton deacons. The church was prosperous 
under the leadership of Elder Allen, and many were 
added to the church. The church built their meeting- 
house about the year 1833. Elder Allen was followed 
in the pastorate by Elder James Phillips, who preached 



FIRST FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH. 353 

for several years. The church during this time passed 
through severe trials from which it never fully recovered. 
Elder Champlain preached for a while in the meeting- 
house and until about the time the church of which he 
was pastor built a house for themselves about a mile to 
the southward. Elder Joseph Whittemore preached 
twice a month for a while, about the year 1842-3, and 
after that preaching services were held only occasionally 
until tlie house was removed to Pontiac and the church 
re-organized. 

About the year 1850, the meeting-house was removed 
to Pontitic upon land given by David Arnold. The 
land according to the terms of the deed, was to revert 
to the original owner or his heirs, assigns, &c., when no 
longer used for church purposes. In March, 1851, the 
church was re-organized under the name of The First 
Free- Will Baptist Church of Warwick. The following 
persons composed the new organization : Joseph B. 
Baker, Edmund L. Budlong, Moses Budlong, Wm. 
Tibbitts, Burden Baker, John Vickery, Stephen Luther, 
Freelove Wood, Hannah Searles, Susan Bennett and 
Susan Baker. Uriah Edd}^, who united a few weeks 
later was appointed a deacon, and Edmund L. Budlong, 
clerk. Elder Reuben Allen, who appears to have been 
the first preacher under the old organization, was the first 
pastor under the new order of things. On March 13, 1852, 
the church voted to change their name to the " Warwick 
Church." In 1852, Uriah Eddy became the church 
clerk. On April 19, 1856, passed a " vote of thanks" 
to Elder Reuben Allen for his services during the past 
year, and appointed Joseph B. Baker a committee to 
supply the pulpit. From this time up to April, 1859, 
the pulpit was supplied by different preachers. At this 
latter date, it was voted " that Elder Reuben Allen be 
our pastor for the ensuing year." On April 28, 1861, 
George T. Hill was licensed to preach the gospel, and 
on September 6 following, he was ordained as pastor of 
the church, by Elders George T. Day and Reuben Allen. 
On October following, Horace Thompson was licensed 



354 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

to preach the gospel. On April 27, 1862, George 
Budlong was appointed a deacon. On July following. 
Elder Reuben Allen was again chcsen pastor for the 
ensuing year. On April 26, 1863, Franklin Potter was 
licensed " to improve his gift." On June 4,1861, the 
church voted that " David Culver be the pastor for the 
coming year, and that an effort be made to raise $200 
for his support." 

From March 30, 1866, Abraham Lockwood was the 
clerk, and Bro. A. Warner, of Providence, became the 
preacher. R. E. Fisher was the clerk in 1869. The 
last pastor was Elder James Tobey, who preached about 
two years. Elder Tobey continued to preach until April, 
1869, when failing health induced him to resign, and 
from this time until they disbanded, the church was 
pastorless. 

On November 5, 1871, the church 'met in covenant 
meeting, and expressed its deep sorrow at the recent 
death of Deacon Uriah Eddy. 

On November 6, 1871, " a council of ministers were present 
to confer with the church in regard to the propriety of uniting 
with the Apponaug Church. A quorum not being present, the 
meeting was adjourned to meet at the church Sunday next, at 
2 o'clock P. M. November 12, 1871, church met according to 
appointment, and voted to adopt the following resolutions: 

To adopt the recommendations of the council held at the 
previous meeting, to wit: — 

To unite with the Apponaug Church in a body, so many as 
can feel it a duty to do so. 

Voted, That a list of the non-resident members be transferred 
to the non-resident list of the Apponaug Church, in order that 
none by this act be left without church connection. 

Voted, That H. C. Budlong be authorized to draw up a paper 
for the members of this church to sign as an application of 
membership in the Apponaug Church. 

Voted, That H. C. Budlong present to the Apponaug Church 
the records of this church, with a list of applications to that 
church; also, a list of all who have taken letters, and a list of 
non-resident members of our church, and recommend and pray 
them to take them under their especial watch-care, and influ- 
ence them, as soon as their whereabouts can be learned, to 
unite with some evangelical church." 

In accordance with the above recommendations, a 



WARWICK AND EAST GEEENWICH CHURCH. 355 

portion of the church anited with the Free Baptist 
Church at Apponaug, and others with other churches, 
and the body ceased to be a distinct church. The meet- 
ing-house, which was owned b}^ stockholders, v> as sold 
to the colored church, on the Plains, — they having lost 
their house by fire, — for f'SOO, who removed it, in 1873, 
to the site of their former house, where it now stands. 

WARWICK AND EAST GREENWICH EEEE-WILL 
BAPTIST CHURCH. 

The meeting-house of this church is situated on the 
Plains, about half a mile north of the village of Appo- 
naug. From the records of the church and other 
sources, we subjoin the following account of its origin 
and history : Previous to the building of their meeting- 
house, the church, which was organized December 23, 
1841, worshipped in various places, but chiefly in the 
meeting-house a mile north, near the " High House." 
Rev. Geo. Champlain was the pastor, and continued in 
this relation for some fifteen years. About the time of 
the " Dorr war," the larger portion of the members were 
on the side of the " law and order " party, and the 
church worshipping in the meeting-house to the north- 
ward were largely of the number known as " Liberty 
men." As a consequence of the disagreement in politics 
between the two churches, the privilege of holding 
meetings in the meeting-house was denied Mr. Champ- 
lain and his church, and measures were taken to build 
for themselves a house of worship. Gov. John Brown 
Francis, Judge Dutee Arnold and Geo. T. Spicer, Esq., 
now of Providence, but then of Pontiac, interested them- 
selves in their behalf, and a subscription was started to 
raise the necessary funds for the erection of a meeting- 
house. 

The subscription paper was drawn up b}^ Gov. Francis, 
and Is still preserved. The following are extracts from 
this paper : 

" This house is to be consecrated to the use of the Free-Will 



356 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Baptist Church of "Warwick and East Greenwich, of which 
George Champlain is now the elder, and Joseph Babcock, 
deacon; subject, however, to this condition, viz.: 

That the seats shall be free for all the worshippers of that 
congregation, and that no pews shall be erected therein. 

It is understood, likewise, that tlae lot whereon the building 
is to be located sliall be conveyed to the above society, but not 
until an act of incorporation is first obtained." 

Appended to the paper are> the follownig names of those 
who subscribed $20 or upwards, viz.: Judge Dutee Ar- 
nold, in behalf of himself and his daughter Marcy, $50 ; 
Hon. William Sprague, in behalf of himself and his 
daughter, Mrs. Susan Hoyt, $75 ; Gov. Francis, in behalf 
of himself and his daughter Anne, $75 ; John Carter 
Brown, of Providence, |50 ; C. & M. Rhodes, $25; 
George T. Spicer, $20. 

The land on which the house was built was given by 
Stephen Budlong to the church. The house was built 
in 1844, at a cost of $1,275. This house was used until 
August, 1872, when it was totally consumed by fire. 
The present house, which is the same one that originally 
stood near the " High House," and was subsequently 
removed to Pontiac, was purchased by this society the 
same year their house was burnt, for $800, and removed 
to its present position. 

The relation that those who have preached sustained 
to the church is not very clearly defined in the records, 
so that it is difficult to tell by them whether those who 
preached were formally recognized as pastors or only 
supplies. The church has not always, if ever, been able 
to support a pastor, and has, consequently, been obliged 
to secure such preachers as were able to support them- 
selves wholly or in part. Among those who have 
preached to the church for the longest periods, were 
Elder George Champlain,* Elder E. Bellows, Elder 



* Elder Champlain become well-known throughout the town as 
quire an able preacher. He was a man of more than usual iialtiral 
ability, and a forcible speaker, and m.iny anecdotes are told resi>ectiug 
him that reveal bi3 keenness and ready wit. It is said that one time 
some of his bearers complained to hiln that he was too personal and 



CENTRAL FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH. 357 

Peter Noka, Elder Benjamin Roberts, Elder Durfee, 
Elder John Dixon, and the present pastor. Elder Wm. 
Devereaux, who has preached to them for several years 
past. 

The following persons have served the church as 
deacons, viz.: Joseph P. Babcock, Job Frye, James B. 
Waite, Henry E. Sambo, Geo. Champlain, Jr., Samuel 
S. Bliss, Jeremiah G. Dailey, Thomas H. Brown, Harri- 
son G. O. Lincoln, and others. 

The following persons have served the church as 
clerks, viz.: James B. Waite, Henry E. Sambo, Thomas 
H. Knowles, Wm. H. Briggs, Samuel B. Eddy, John F. 
Champlain, John O. Lincoln, Albert G. Lippitt and 
John P. Gardner. 



CENTRAL FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH OF WARWICK. 

This church was organized by Rev. Benjamin Phelon, 
who, on the third Sabbath in August, 1835, baptized 
and formed into a church the following individuals, viz.: 
Alexander Havens, Wm. Harrison, William D. Brayton, 
Thomas W. Harrison, Elizabeth Wickes, Catheiine 
Westcott and Mary E. Wilbur. Their first deacon was 
Alex. Havens, and their first clerk, Wm. D. Brayton. 

Rev. Benjamin J^helon, now of Providence, was their 
first pastor, and preached for them at this time about 
two years and a half. He was followed by Rev. Thomas 
S. Johnson, who was called to the pastorate of the 
church in October, 1837, and remained about two years. 



severe in his preaching. He replied: " When I am preaching I shoot 
right straight at the devil, every time, and if any of yon get between 
me and the devil, you will he liable to get hurt." While preaching 
he would sometimes get quite animated, and his gestures on such 
occasions would be more fori'ible than elegant. He occupied the old 
"Tin Top " atQuidnick for awhile, after it was given up by the church 
that built it, and, it is said, he would sometimes, wliile preaching 
there, jump so high that the audience in front of the pulpit could see 
his knees. To do this he must have gone up more than three feet into 
the air. Elder Champlain had some failings, but possessed manj 
excellent qualities. 

31 



358 HISTOKY OF WARWICK. 

Rev. J. S. Mowry was the next pastor, and commenced 
his labors November, 1840, closing them in May, 1842. 
He, in turn, was followed by Rev. Martin J. Steere, 
who remained three years. 

In April, 1849. the church invited Rev. Mr. Phelon 
to become again their pastor, which invitation he accepted, 
and he continued to preach until September, 1869. 

After this, Rev. J. A. Stetson supplied the pulpit for 
several months, and until the Rev. E. P. Harris was 
called to the pastorate. Mr. Harris remained about six 
months. 

The present pastor, Rev. George W. Wallace com- 
menced his labors in September, 1870.* 

The number of members at the present time is eighty- 
seven. 

THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. 

The following interesting communication, giving the 
origin of this church, is from Hon. Simon Henry 
Greene. The personal allusions of the venerable gentle- 
man to his own experience, though perhaps not designed 
for publication, will not detract from the interest with 
which it will be perused : 

RiVERPOiNT, R. I., April, 1875. 
•Rev. O. p. Fuller. 

Dear Sir, — Mr. Artemas Stebbins who was well 
known in Warwick as a Methodist Circuit preacher, 
about the year 1812, was probably the first to make 
known the New Church Theolog}^ in the town. My 
home was then in the locality of the town now called 
Centreville, with my mother, Mrs. Abigail Greene, a de- 
voted, worthy member of the Methodist Church. My 
father was Job Greene, who died in 1808. 

In the autumn of 1811, I was placed at a school from 
home, returning in 1812. I was employed in business 



* Tlie sketch of this church is furnished by its pastor, Rev, G. W. 
Wallace. 



NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. 359 

in Hartford, Conn, in 1813, returning home again in 
1814, In 1816 I engaged in business in Providence, 
where I married in 1822, and resided there until 1838, 
when my business required a removal of my family to 
Warwick, my native town, and a removal was made 
accordingly, to where we still reside. 

You will thus see how the link which had connected 
me with Centreville was severed, and how the most inti- 
mate relations with that locality, as to me, were measur- 
ably suspended, I had notwithstanding, some knowl- 
edge at dilferent times of Mr. Stebbins, his whereabouts 
and his occupation. I heard of him, not far from the 
year 1815, as travelling and vaccinating for the kine 
pock, then having the title of Doctor, and that he had 
visited Centreville on such a mission. And if my recol- 
lection is right, he was then teaching the doctrines of 
the New Church, — and it is not unlikely he may have 
preached them publicly at Centreville. Years after- 
wards I heard of him as settled in Swanzey, Mass., 
where I believe he died, I do not know that he ever 
became a minister of the New Church, to preach regu- 
larly, or indeed at all, anywhere. He was probably the 
first man to make a declaration of the doctrines of the 
New Church — called by Swedenborg " The Heavenly 
Doctrines of the New Jerusalem," in the town of War- 
wick. 

My own attention was attracted to acquire a knowl- 
edge of the doctrines, while living in Providence, at 
about thirty-five years of age, but the ideas contained 
in them were so new to my mind, that I made slow pro- 
gress in learning ; my former theological notions block- 
ing the way for the entrance of the new truths. I had 
been religiously inclined from an early age, and had 
read much of theological works, but with all my expe- 
rience and observation^ I could not settle into a rational, 
satisfactory belief in any of the systems of theology 
which had fallen under my notice, until the writings of 
the profoundly learned and eminent scholar and christian, 
Emanuel Swedenborg, fell in my way. Apparently by 



360 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

accident, but really by the ordering of the Divine Prov- 
idence, I came in contact with a few individuals in 
Providence who were " receivers of the Heavenly Ddc- 
trines," and who held regular meetings for worship and 
for instruction, at Union Hall, near Westminster street, 
on which occasions a sermon was read by some one of 
the members. Occasionally a visit was made us by a 
minister, who preached and administered the sacraments 
of baptism and the holy suj)per. We became members 
of the Bridgewater, Mass., Society of the New Church, 
and the pastor. Rev. Samuel Worcester, rendered to us 
occasional pastoral care and services. His brother like- 
wise, now Dr. Thomas Worcester, then the pastor of a 
New Church Society in Boston, visited us and preached 
in Providence. Samuel has been dead several years. 
Thomas is now living in Waltham, Mass., retired from 
active life, to much extent, in the ministry, on account 
of advanced age and impaired health. Both of them 
were sons of Rev. Noah Worcester, one of the earliest 
and most noted Unitarian Clergymen in the United 
States. The sons, however, were compelled wholly to 
repudiate the peculiar theology of their father 

I engaged with Mr. Edward Pike, in the firm name 
of Greene & Pike, to do business in Warwick, in 1828, 
which copartnership arrangement continued until his 
death in 1842. I had conversations with him and his 
brother David, who is still living, on the subject of the 
New Church doctrines. They became much interested 
in them, and procured the " True Christian Religion," 
the final work on Theology of Swedenborg, and of a 
great number of volumes previously written and pub- 
lished by him, which they read and became convinced of 
the truth of those doctrines. I became a member of the 
Bridgewater Society of the New Church in 1836. 

In consequence of the interest the Messrs. Pike and I 
felt to have preaching in Warwick, Rev. Samuel Wor- 
cester was invited to preach in Warwick, and he did so 
at the " Lippitt & Phenix School House," on the 14th of 
April, 1837, to an audience of about 175 persons. Many 



NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. 361 



interosted listeners to New Church teachings were present. 
Mr. Edward Pike and his brother David soon afterwards 
visited Rev. Mr. Worcester's home, and were baptized 
by him at Bridgewater on the 7th of May, 1837. In 
due time others were baptized by Mr. Worcester here in 
Warwick, and a little band were associated together to 
hold regular meetings on the Sabbath day for worship 
then held, and now continue to be holden, in a house 
built by Greene & Pike, to be used for the double pur- 
pose of a school-house and a house for public worship. 

In 1838, I removed with my family to Warwick, and 
it was arranged, the pastor co-operating, that I should 
be appointed and authorized to act as a leader in public 
worship, in which capacity I have officiated to the present 
time, — to wit : to the year 1875, — a term of nearly 
thirty-seven years, being now in the 77th year of my age. 

It is obvious to a New Churchman, that the New 
Jerusalem which John saw " coming down from God 
out of heaven," is indeed leavening the whole world with 
the Divine love and the Divne wisdom, raising it by 
those sublime principles to higher and more exalted 
spiritual, heavenly states. Those heaven-descended 
qualities infused into the minds of men enlighten their 
paths, and say unto them in the benignity of perfect 
love — " this is the way, walk ye in it." But alas! men 
generally do not believe that it is the Lord in His second 
coming, " in the clouds of heaven," who is now standing 
at the door of their hearts — their affections — and knock- 
ing for them to open the door, that He may entei- in with 
His love and wisdom, and establish His glorious king- 
dom there, — they do not believe that all who have died 
since the world began have been raised from death unto 
life, and have been judged, and have become associated 
in the spiritual world with those in simiUr states with 
themselves — whether those states be evil, or whether 
they be good. " Evil is of hell, and good is of heaven." 
" The life of man is his love.'" If the love be evil, the 
life is hellish. If the love be good, the life is heavenly. 
Yours truly, Simon Henry Greene. 

»31 



362 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



friends' meeting, old WARWICK* 

The first " Monthly Meeting " of the Society of 
Friends held in Warwick, on record, was at the house 
of John Brig-gs, in 1699. Meetings were held subse- 
quently at the house of Jabez Greene, and probably 
until their meeting-house was built. The Greenwich 
Monthly Meeting then embraced the towns of Provi- 
dence, Greenwich, Kingstown and Warwick. The fol- 
lowing is from the records of the " Monthly Meeting :" 

"At Greenwich Monthly Meeting of Friends, held 4 month, 
4th, 171(.),itwas proposed to build a meeting-house al Warwick, 
and two Friends were appointed to lay the proposition before 
the Quarterly Meeting, and also the Yearly Meeting." 

Three months later the Monthly Meeting decided to 
build the meeting-house. The records do not inform us 
when the house was built, l)ut it appears to have been 
built before the land upon wdiich it stood was purchased, 
probably by permission of the owner, and with the 
understanding that a deed of it would be given. On 
the "ninth of 3d month, 1720, Benjamin Barton sold to 
Samuel Aldrich, Thomas Arnold, Jabez Greene, Joseph 
Edmonds and Thomas Hodman, for <£45, current mone}'-, 
one and a half acres and thirty -five rods " of land, " being 
that piece or parcel of land on which stands a certain 
meeting-house in which ye people called Quakers usually 
meet in Warwick aforesaid.'*' 

The Friends were never numerous in the town, but 
held meetings in the house at Warwick frequently during 
the last century ; for the last fitty years only occasionally 
has the house been occupied. The old meeting-house 
was so much injured by the September gale of 1815, 
that it was taken down the following year, and- a portion 
of its timbers were used in the erection of the present 



* For a portion of the items in the above account, I am indebted to 
the venerable Perez Teck, of Coventry. 



EPISCOPAL CHURCH, COWESETT. 363 

modest structure. The old house was considerably 
larofer than the present one, and was two stories high. 

Loyd Greene, an approved minister of the Society of 
Friends, and a resident in that vicinity, gave the Society 
the sum of |500, the interest of which was to be ex- 
pended in keeping the house in repair. This money they 
deposited in a savings bank, and by the dishonesty of 
the cashier they lost about one-third of it about ten 
years ago. The interest has since been allowed to accu- 
mulate to the amount of the original sum. Loyd Greene 
sold his farm at Old Warwick, and removed to East 
Greenwich, where he became disheartened, and wandered 
back one day to his old home, and hung himself in the 
barn which he formerly owned. He is remembered as an 
upright, conscientious man. The old meeting-house 
has been thoroughly repaired during the past season, 
and is one of the oldest buildings in the State occupied 
by the Friends for their religious meetings.* 

EPISCOPAL CHUECH, COWESETT. 

The items respecting the church in which Rev. Dr. 
James McSparran, Dr. Fayerweather, and others, offi- 
ciated once a month, are gathered chiefly from the in- 
teresting work of Mr. Updike. 

" On the 2d of September, 1728, a lot of grouad situated at 
equal distances from the present village of Apponaug and East 
Greenwich, and between the post road and the present Ston- 
ington railroad, was conveyed by the Kev. George Pigot to the 
Society in London for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign 
Parts, for erecting a church according to the establishment of 
churches by law in New England. A church was accordingly 
erected, — a wooden building, two stories in height, with a 
steeple and spire, fronting the post road. After remaining 
unoccupied a long time, in a I'uined state, it was taken down, 
about the year 17(34, by inhabitants from Old Warwick, for the 



* Their first house at East Greenwich was built in the year 1700, and 
the first meeting held in it was on the "second of seventh month," of 
that year. They continued to worship in it until the year 1806, when 
they erected the one they now occupy. 



364 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 



purpose of erecting a church there. The materials having 
been conveyed to the shore, were scattered and lost during a 
stfi-m which aro-*e soon after. A number of graves, probably 
of Individuals connected with the church, are still to be seen 
upon the lot. The Rev. Georije Pigot resided in Warwick a 
nuinb(^r of years, and owned a track of land there. He proba- 
bly obtaiued the means of erecting the church." 

When the congregation of Trinity Church, Newport, 
built their new church in 1726, they gave their old 
building to the people of this denomination living in 
thi.s town, and, according to tradition, it was floated 
from Newport to this place. From the abstracts of the 
Missionary Society, under whose patronage the Episcopal 
clergymen in this State then acted, we learn that Dr. 
MoSparran officiated monthly in Warwick, from 1741 to 
1757, and Mr. John Graves from 1762 to 1783, the 
former receiving for his services the sum of <£50 ; the 
latter, £15. 

The house stood on the corner of the street that leads 
down to the " Folly LandiuL;",' * on the site of the house 
erected a few years ago h^^ Edwin Bowen. The grave- 
yard was just south of Mr. Bowen's house. There were 
inscrii)tions on but two of the stones, those of Capt. 
John Drake and his wile. The Captain, as appears from 
the inscri[)ti()ns on the stone erected at his giave, died 
January 29, 1733. His wife died July 23, 1738. The 
remains, with the grave stones, were removed to the old 
Caleb Ladd burial lot, about an eighth of a mile to the 
nf)rth\VHrd, many years ago, by Mr. Jonathan N. Peirce, 
who owned the lot at the time. 

This lot subsequently came into possession of David 
Gieene, who sold it to Rufus Spencer, who bequeathed 
it to his daughter, Mary S[)encer. Mary Spencer, by 
will, gave it to the Society of Friends at East Green- 
wich. On Februaiy 1, 180S, as per deed of that ilate, 
Nicholas Cougdon, Darius P. Lawton, Perez Peck, Beriah 



* The origin of this term is as follows: Josiah Baker put up a 
house near the shore and kept a sort of tavern, which hecaine known 
as •' Baki-r's I'^oUy." The term " Fully" hecauie applied to the wharf 
also, aud for awhile the railway statiou near it was so called. 



EPISCOPAL CHURCH, COWESBTT. 365 



Brown, and others, in behalf of the Society of Friends, 
sold this lot and land adjoining, amounting to fifty acres, 
" being the same as conveyed to them by Mary Spencer, 
late of Greenwich, daughter of Rufus Spencer," to 
Jonathan N. Peirce for the sum of 82000. A portion of 
this tract was sold a few years ago to Amasa Sprague 
for $12,000. A portion on Avhich the old meeting-house 
stood, Mr. Peirce sold to Mr. Bowen, as above stated. 
Mr. Peirce, at the ripe age of eighty-three, resides upon 
a portion of his purchase made in 1808, having removed 
his house from the opposite side of the road when he 
sold the land to Amasa Sprague. 

The following are extracts from the church records, 
with biographical comments by Mr. Updike : 

" April 11, 1736. Baptized at Cowesett, (Warwick Church), 
"by Mr. McSparran, two cliildren, viz.: Rebecca Pii!;ot, daughter 
of Edward Pigot, and Charles Dickenson, son of Capt. John 
Dickenson." 

" Edward Pigot was the brotlier of the Kev. George Pigot, 
and was a pliysician, — came to Warwick soon after his brother, 
but remained but a few years after his brother removed to 
Salem." 

" Sept. 7th, 1739. Dr. McS. preached at the church in War- 
wick, and admitted Mr. Levalley to the sacrament of the Lord's 
supper." 

" The Mr. Levalley here mentioned was probably Peter 
Levalley, who died in Warwick in 1756, and was the ancestor 
of the Levalleys in Warwick and Coventry." 

" Dec. 14, 1745. Dr. McS. preached Moses Lippifs funeral 
sermon, and buried him in his own ground in Warwick. He 
died the l'2th, about 11 o'clock in the forenoon." 

'• June 8, 1746. Dr. McSparran baptized by immersion a 
young woman named Patience Stafford, daughter of Samuel 
Stafford, of Warwick, and then from Mr. Francis' rode to the 
church, read prayers and preached there." 

" April 21, 175U. Baptized by immersion, in Warwick, 
Elizabeth Greene, wife of Richard Greene, and by affusion, 
Welthan Lippit, wife of Jeremiah Lippit, a sister of said 
Richard." 

" Saturday, June 12, 1756. Dr. McSparran administered bap- 
tism by total immersion to two young women at Warwick, viz.: 
Elizabeth Greene, jun. daughter of Richard Greene and Eliza- 
beth, his wife, and to Sarah Hammett, daughter of an Ana- 
baptist teacher, some time ago dead." 



366 HISTORY OF WABWIOK. 

" July 23, 1756. As I came home from Providence, I took 
Warwick in my way, and baptized l^y immersion one adult, 
named Phebe Low, daughter of Philip Greene, Esq., of War- 
wick, and wife of one Captain Low." 

" Philip Greene was the' grandson of Deputy Gov. Greene, 
and the father of Col. Christopher Greene, of the revolution, 
and married Elizabeth Wickes, sister of Thomas AVickes." 

About the only relics connected with the old church 
known to exist at present, are a portion of its records, 
and a Bible a-ud praj'er book, given to the church by the 
" Society in London for the Proj)agation of the Gospel 
in Foreign Parts." These latter fell to the possession of 
a Mrs. Lippitt, who lately died in Providence. The 
books are probably now in possession of the nieces of 
Mrs. Lippitt. 

ST. Philip's church, crompton. • 

At a meeting of several persons, desirous of forming 
a Christian congregation in communion with the Pro- 
testatit Episcopal Church, held in Crompton Mills, War- 
wick, on the 27th of May, 1845, the Rev. James H. 
Eames was appointed chairman, and Mr. David Updike 
Hagan secretary. After due deliberation it was decided 
to form a religious society to be known " by the name 
and style of St. Philip's Church." The following per- 
sons were appointed wardens and vestrymen : Frederick 
Pfawner, senior warden ; David Updike Hagan, junior 
warden ; \Vm. C. Gregory, James Crawford, James H, 
Clapp, Thomas Tiffany, vestrymen ; David U. Hagan, 
vestry clerk, and James H. Clapp, treasurer. 

The vestry were instructed to procure " a lot or lotts 
for the use of this congregation as soon as the sum 
necessary to effect it shall be subscribed." The present 
lot on which the meeting-house is situated was purchased 
and the house built during the year. It was consecrated 
b}" Rt. Rev. J. P. K. Henshaw, Bishop of the Diocese 
of Rhode Island, January 1, 1846. The house was 
never completed according to the design, which contem- 
plated a tower and vestibule on one of its corners, with 



ST. Philip's church, ceompton. 367 

other ornamentation. The cost of the house in its 
present form was $1200. 

Previous to the building of the church, religious ser- 
vices were held in the " Store Chamber " for about a 
year. Rev. J. Mulchahey, now assistant rector of Trinity 
Church, New York, and Rev. Daniel Henshaw, son of 
the Bishop, and now rector of All Saints Memorial 
Church, Providence, officiating on alternate Sabbaths. 
The first baptism recorded on the church records is that 
of a child of Thomas Hampson, December 19, 1843. 

The following is the list of the rectors : Rev. J. 
Mulchahey; C. E. Bennett, since deceased; G. W. 
Chevers, deceased ; E. W. Maxey, now in New York 
State ; D. Potter, now of Carabridae, Mass.; R. H. 
Tuttle, now of Connecticut ; Silas M. Rogers, now settled 
in South Lee, Mass.; Robert Paul, in New York State ; 
James S. Ellis, now in Wilkinson ville, Mass., and Thomas 
H. Cocroft, the present rector. 

The Rectory was built by Mr. Cad}^ Dyer for his 
private residence, and subsequently sold to the Diocesan 
Convention that holds the chuich property. 

The rectors have been accustomed to hold religious 
services also in some of the other villages, where missions 
have been established, as at Fiskeville, Scituate and 
Phenix. At the latter place, Benjamin C. Harris built 
a small Gothic building, known as " Little Rock Chapel," 
which was used awhile for Episcopal services.* In Jan- 
uary, 1861, when Rev. Mr. Rogers became the rector, he 
found a debt of $1300 on the Rectory, which he suc- 
ceeded in reducing to -f 440. Mr. Rogers closed his term 
of service in August, 1867. During the time, he " bap- 
tized 111 infants, children and adults ;" 45 persons were 
confirmed ; 69 persons were buried, and 27 couples mar- 
ried. In 1873, the church was found to be greatly in. 



* This building was afterwards purchased b\- the Catholics, tlirough 
the agency of Kev. ISIr. Gibson, |)pstor of St. Mary's, Croinpton, for 
§400. The lot was given by Mr. Harris. It was used for religious 
services until about the time their present church was obtained, and 
then sold. 



368 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

need of repairs, and in July and August of that year, it 
was repainted on the inside, the walls were frescoed, and 
a new carpet purchased, the cost of the repairs amount- 
ing to about $400, part of which was contributed at 
home and the remainder in Providence. After the resig- 
nation of Mr. Paul, in 1870, the rectorship remained 
vacant until Easter of 1873, when the Rev. James S. 
Ellis, of Delaware, was appointed rector and missionary, 
who continued in office until July 1, 1874, when the 
house was closed for some months. Rev. Mr. Cocroft 
commenced his labors in the spring of the present year. 

ALL SAINTS PARISH, PONTIAC* 

This parish was organized April 9, 1869, when the 
following officers were elected : Senior Warden, Stephen 
N. Bourne ; Junior Warden, John P. Olney ; Treasurer, 
John F. Knowles ; Clerk, John P. Olney ; Vestrymen, 
Samuel Black, Samuel Pi'eston, Henry Owen, John 
Gildard, Edwin R. Knight, William Wooley, Isaiah 
Wilde, Thomas Evans, Charles S. Robinson, William A. 
Corey, John F. Knowles. 

The services of the Protestant Episcopal Church were 
held in All Saints Chapel for the first time on Sunday, 
April 1, the Rev. L. Sears, of St. Bartholomew's Church, 
Cranston, reading as far as the creed, and the Rev. 
Robert Paull, of St. Philips Church, Crorapton, the 
remainder of the service, the sermon being preached by 
the Rev. D. O. Kellogg, of Grace Church, Providence. 

The first rector, the Rev. E. H. Porter, commenced his 
labors in the parish July 4. There were then found to 
be but five regular communicants of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church connected with the parish, though at 
the first administration of the sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper, there were fifteen participants, most of whom 
were members of other evangelical churches. 

* The account of this church is furnished by John P. Olney, clerk. 



METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES. 369 

After a year of remarkable growth and prosperity, the 
Rev. Mr. Porter resigned the rectorship of the parish in 
July, 1870, which resignation took effect October 1. 

The Rev. H. K. Browse, formerly of Pennsylvania, was 
the next rector, remaining in the parish until September 
4, 1872, when his ill-health compelled him to give up his 
pastoral work an^l send in his resignation. 

Rev. Wm. H. Williams took charge of the parish in 
December, 1872, and remained till April 1, 1875. 

The number of regular communicants actually resident 
in the parish April 1, 1875, is 36. The Sunday School 
numbers 102. The amount of funds raised for the sup- 
port of public worship, and other church and Sunday 
School purposes, during the year ending April 1, 1875, 
was $1,488 14. 

The Messrs. B. B. & R. Knight, of Providence, ten- 
dered to the parish in 1869, for church purpo.es, a room 
neatly fitted up with sittings and chancel furniture, and 
also a dwelling for its rector, both free of rental, and 
also have always been liberal subscribers to the fund for 
the minister's salary. 

JVIETHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES. 

There are two flourishing churches of the Methodist 
denomination in the town, both having their origin in 
the early part of the present century, but the writer has 
not been successful in obtaining official accounts of either. 
One of them, which is probably the older, is located in 
the village of Centreville, and the other at Pheuix. 
They were supplied for many years, or as late as the 
year 1825, and perhaps later, by circuit preachers only, 
and the records of that period are not in possession of 
these churches. The " Warwick Circuit " included not 
only these villages, but also those of East Greenwich, 
Wickford, Plainlield, Conn., and other places, and the 
preachers were accustomed to pass from one to the other 
in rotation, on horseback, preaching in school-houses and 
private dwellings as they had opportunity. In 1830-1, 

28 



870 HISTORY OP WAEWICK. 

the church at Centreville built their meeting-house, and 
ten years later the church at Phenix were also in posses- 
sion of a house of worship. But the records of both, 
as I am informed, for many years subsequent to these 
dates, are not now in their possession, nor do they know 
what has become of them. Many interesting items con- 
nected with their origin and progress would have been 
gathered from the older members and presented in this 
connection, but for the expectation cherished to the latest 
moment, that they would be furnished in connection 
with such information as could be obtained from existing 
records by some one connected with the churches who is 
more thoroughly conversant with their history. 

SECOND ADVENT CHURCHES. 

There are two churches of this order in the town, the 
older one located in the village of Arctic, and the other 
at Natick. The church at Arctic held its meetings at 
first in Odd Fellows' Hall, in the year 1858. The meet- 
ings were conducted by Elder George Champlaiu, a 
colored preacher, who was for about fifteen years the 
pastor of the Warwick and East Greenwich Free-Will 
Baptist Church on the Plains. He was assisted by Elder 
E. Bellows. The meetings at the hall resulted in the 
conversion of quite a number of persons, fourteen of 
whom were baptized by Elder Champlain on the 26th of 
February, 1858, and sixteen on March 14 following. On 
the evening of April 6, a church was organized at the 
house of Josiah Taylor, consisting of twelve persons. 
After the organization, Josiah Ta3dorand William Smith 
were chosen deacons, and John P. Babtock clerk and 
treasurer. Elder Champlain was chosen pastor. 

It was arranged to have public religious services every 
third Sabbath at Odd Fellows' Hall. The business and 
covenant meetings were usually held at the house of 
Deacon Taylor. On the evening of August 14, 1858, 
Elder Champlain's resignation of the pastorate was 
accepted, and Elder E. Bellows was chosen his successor. 



CATHOLIC CHURCHES. 371 

On October 15, 1858, Alanson Wright was chosen deacon 
in place of Deacon Smith, who had resigned to go to 
another part of the countrj^ On November 6, 1858, A. 
C. Greene was chosen clerk, in place of John P. 
Babcock, resigned. 

At a meeting held February 26, 1860»the subject of 
building a house of worship was considered. It was 
ascertitined that about f 600 had been subscribed for this 
object, and by vote of the church it was decided to pur- 
chase of Mr. Alexander Allen, for the sum of $100, a 
piece of land 65 feet front by 120 feet deep, as a site for 
the building ; that th(? house should be 31 feet by 46 
feet, 14 feet posts. C. Spencer, Isaac Andrews and 
Alanson Wright were appointed a building committee, 
with instructions to erect the house immediately. The 
land was accordingly purchased of Mr. Allen and the 
house built. The first meeting — one for business — was 
held in it on the evening of May 12, 1860. At a meet- 
ing held October 19, 1862, Rice Knight, Elisha B. Card 
and Oliver Crandall were chosen deacons. The last 
meeting, the proceedings of which were recorded upon 
the church book, was held December 19, 1863, at which 
time it was voted to give up the forenoon services and 
substitute the Sabbath School. Elder Augustus Durfee 
has been the pastor for some years past, preaching one 
Sabbath per mouth. The church has not been able to 
support a pastor much of the time, and it has been fre- 
quently without a regular pastor, depending upon such 
supplies as they were able to procure. 

The church at Natick was organized May 24, 1874, 
with twenty members. The present number is twenty- 
three. Spencer H. Shippee and Silas Mitchell were 
chosen deacons. They hold their meetings in Smith's 
Hall. Elder Elisha B. Card is the pastor and clerk. 

CATHOLIC CHUKCHES. 

The following communication respecting the churches 
of this order in (/lompton and Phenix is irom Rev. Mr. 



S72 HISTORY OF WARWICK. 

Gibson, the esteemed pastor of the Cathohc Church in 
the former village : 

Crompton, Oct. 14, 1875. 
Reverend Sia — 

In response to your expressed desire for some infor- 
mation respecting the progress of Catholicity in Cromp- 
ton, or in my parish, I have collected a few facts and 
items which I submit to you, hoping they may be of 
service in the correct compilation of the work you are 
preparing for publication. 

I cannot better commence to narrate the few facts and 
items I have collected in reference to the history of the 
Catholic Church in Crompton, than by referring to a 
work entitled " Sketches of the Establishment of the 
Church in New England," published in 1872 by Rev. 
James Fitton, the first pastor of the church in Crompton, 
and by whom the first church was commenced on Sep- 
tember 23, 1844. It relates in condensed form nearly 
all the important matter concerning its establishment, 
and I will quote entire the '' Sketch" under the heading 
of the Church of our Lady of Mount Carmel, Crompton : 

" Apart from Pawtucket, the largest number of the faithful 
in any town contiguous to the city, and who were considered 
as belonging to the charge of SS?. Peter and Paul, Providence, 
were at Crompton. This place having been attended monthly, 
and the hard-working and industrious operatives in the factory, 
among whom were those having families of little ones, being 
anxious to have a place where they might nssembie on Sundays, 
and willing to contribute according to their means, an acre of 
laud was secured September 23, 1844. A small church, a 
frame building, was immediately erected, and as the location 
selected was on the hill side of the village, overlooking the 
country for miles distant, it was styled the ' Church of our 
Lady of Mount Carmel.' 

Tiie congregation of Crompton and its neighborhood was 
confided to the special care of Rev. James Gibson, who attended 
occasionally, as his duties at other stations permitted, till 
August, 1851, when assuming its sole charge he added seven 
and three-quarters acres to the original purchase, thus making 
eight acres and three-quarters of land, all enclosed within a 
substantial stoue wall. Besides which, for the better accom- 
modation of the congregation, he has added twenty by lifty- 
eight to the church, making it one hundred and eight by fifty 



CATHOLIC CHURCHES. 373 

feet, independent of Sanctuary and Sacristy, twenty by twenty- 
one, and its tower twelve by twelve, square, and forty-five feet 
higli, with a sweet-toued bell of over 1400 pounds weiglit. He 
has also built a pastoral residence of thirty by twenty-eight 
feet, tastefully and conveniently arranged, and a school-house, 
eighteen by forty feet, wherein to gather the little ones of his 
spiritual charge. 

He has also lately secured, on what is known as Birch Hill, 
a very fine building, over thirty-one by forty-five feet, erected 
originally for a select high school, which he has converted into 
a neat little church, with its porch of eight by ten and sacristy 
twelve by fifteen feet." 

The above -is a very clear and correct statement, and 
there is little to be added up to the time of the publica- 
tion of the " Sketches." I would, however, remark that 
the immediate successor of Rev. James Fitton was Rev. 
Edward Putnam, aud one or two others, who occasion- 
ally attended the Crompton church, until the appoint- 
ment of Rev. D. Kelly, who was the first local, resident 
priest, and remained in Crompton about nine months, 
when he was removed and the present pastor assumed 
the charge. 

Since 1844 there has been much progress, and many 
improvements in the foregoing sketch. The original 
parish under the charge of one priest only, has increased 
to such an extent, that it has been divided into five sepa- 
rate parishes, each one with its handsome church and 
resident priest. 

Besides the church of St. James in Birch Hill, in 1870, 
two acres of land was purchased in Centreville for 
the erection of a central church at some future time. 
There is a fine Hall on the grounds, which at present is 
used for meetings of St. Mary's Brass Band, St. Mary's 
Temperance Society and other public meetings and social 
gatherings. 

The Cemetery, too, adjoining the Crompton church 
deserves especial mention. It has been extensively en- 
larged, improved and adorned in various ways, so that 
what was originally a crude mass of stones and natural 
rubbish, has become a lovely retreat, and a beautiful 
place of christian burial. 



374 HISTORY OP WARWICK. 

There have been other minor improvements, but suf- 
ficient has been mentioned to show the wonderful pro- 
gress of the CathoHc church in Crompton since the erec- 
tion of the " small church " on the hill-side of the village. 
Respectfully, 

J. P. Gibson. 

PHENIX CATHOLIC PARISH. 

This flourishing parish, once a part only of the Cromp- 
ton church was made into a separate parish in 1858 and 
placed in the charge of Rev. Dr. Wallace, now pastor of 
St. Michael's church, Providence. He remained there 
about seven years. During the first year or two, the 
catholic church there was a small building called the Rock 
Chapel, being built on a solid rock foundation. It was 
formerly an Episcopal chapel, and was purchased by Rev. 
J. P. Gibson of Mr. Benjamin C. Harris for the purpose of 
converting it into a Catholic chapel. Mr. Harris very 
generously gave the foundation and ground around, and 
made no charge except a moderate one for the building 
alone. But this chapel very soon was inadequate to the 
wants of the increasing number of parishioners, and Dr. 
Wallace sold it, and purchased of the Baptist society the 
church now under the charge of Rev. John Couch, who 
resides in Phenix, and has been pastor there since the 
removal of Dr. Wallace. J. P. G. 

In addition to the foregoing, for the accommodation of 
the large number of French Catholics, a large and hand- 
some church edifice was erected last year near the Cen- 
treville railroad station, 112 x 60, which is not yet com- 
pletely finished ; the large and convenient vestry being 
at present used for religious services. It is called St. 
John's church, and Rev. Henry Spruyt is theipastor in 
charge. 

At Natick, too, within the past three years, a church 
has been erected to accommodate the catholic residents of 
that village, and the resident pastor. Rev. Mr. Reviere, 



STJMMAEY. * 375 



preaches to two distinct congregations at different parts 
of the day — to one in English and to the other in the 
French hinguage. 

There has also within the past year, been erected in 
Apponaug a neat church by Rev. Wm. Halligan, of 
Greenwich. These comprise the five Catholic parishes 
of this town. 

SUMMARY. 

Of the twenty-eight churches that have existed in this 
town since its settlement in 1642, five have become ex- 
tinct. Of those still existing, three are of the Six Prin- 
ciple Baptist order ; four are Baptist; two Free Baptist; 
one Congregationalist ; one Friends ; one New Jerusalem ; 
two Methodists ; two Adventists ; two Episcopalian, and 
five Roman Catholic; making the present number twenty- 
three. Besides these, there have been several mission 
stations established, for longer or shorter periods, and 
several halls have been used at different times for reli- 
gious services. 



INDEX. 



Pas:?. 

Arnold, William, early settler ^^- 16, 297 

Arnold, Judge Stephen 104 

Arnold, Judge Dutee 264 

Arnold, Burrill, shot 199 

Arnold, Stephen, of Pawtuxet 87 

Animals, wild, bounty on 55 

Anawon, Philip's counsellor, taken prisoner and slain 80 

Allen, John, of Gentreville 191,193, 330 

Archery, statute concerning ■ 36 

Blackstone, Wm., the first permanent settler of Rhode Island 1 

Barton, Ruf us, account of 40 

Burial places, the earliest in town 141 

Buttonwoods 147,150 

Brook, sweet meadow 153 

Bray ton, Hon. Geo. R., Chief Justice 154 

Boston Carpenter, a famous negro 188 

Bray ton, Rev. Jonathan " 202, 332 

Carder, Richard, account of. 12, 81 

Canonchet, successor of Miantonomi 74, 79 

Calverly, Edmund . 64 

Collins, Lieut. Eliza 62 

Cauanicus, death of 38 

Charter, granted the town 32 

Coles, Robert, account of 16 

Conscience, i-ights of 53 

Currency, chauge of. 59 

Commissioners, King's, acts of. , . 67 

Clark, Dr. .lohii, agent to England 68 

Clark, John H 265 

Castle, Old Stone, picture of 76 

Crompton, village of 162-179 

Clapp School House 168 

Chippewanoxett 156 

Cowesett farms. pLat of 85 

Coventry, set off from Warwick ... 96 

Cemeteries 178,183,201 

Calleuder, Rev. John 298 

Centreville, village of .. 179-202 

Clyde Works .... 233 

Cascade 258 

Curtis, Rev. David 326 



378 INDEX. 



Page. 

Dowling, Rev. Thomas ' 328 

Elliot, tlie Missionary 6 

Education, Early eftbrts in regard to 130 

Eliza, name used in masculine gender 62 

Farms, "Wecochaconet 87 

Fight, Great Swamp 73 

File impertinent (i8 

FlatTopMill 173 

Fifield, Elder Moses 199 

Francis, Gov. John Brown j27 

Fuller, Dr. Asa 257 

Fuller, i^ev. E. K 3;^ 

Gorton, Samuel, senior 1, 8, 41, fi2, 82, 300 

Gerardy, John, town order in regard to 64 

Greene, John, senior • SO 

Greene, John, Deputy Governor . . .. 69 

Greene, William, elected Governor 96 

Greene, Gen. Nathaniel 107-109 

Greene, Col. Christopher 118, 181 

Greene, Hon, Simon Henry 122, 234 

Greene, Gen. George Sears 293 

Greene, IMchard "Ward, Chief Justice 129 

Greene, William, Lieutenant Governor 161 

Greene Mansion, picture of - 157 

Gaspee, destruction of. 101 

Guards Kentish, 106 

Government, peculiar form of . 13 

Grist Mill, first one in town 44 

Holden, Kandall, senior ^^' '*5 

Holden, Randall, goes to England 25, 87 

Eolden, Randall, return from England 27 

W olden, >lder Charles 308 

Holden, Thomas K 176 

HoUiman. Ezekiel 41, 297 

Harris, William 67,83 

Harris, Dr. Stephen , 239 

Helme, Christopher 3'' 

Highway from Apponaug to Centreville 91 

Hill'sGvove 268,270 

Indians, principal tribes of 2 

testimony of Roger Williams concerning 3 

their religious belief ^^ 

convey their lands to England 24 

trouble concerning 44 

eftbrts to remove them 67 

sold as slaves ^0 

na'^es of places, &c ^ 13H 

Inhabitants, early lists of , 5d, 93 

Inhabitants, voluntary exile of ^^ 

Jewett, Dr. Charles = 105 



INDEX 379 



* ' Page. 

Kent county incorporated 97 

Kekeme wit brook MO 

Knight, Dr. Svlvester 1.S4 

Knight, B. B.' & E 266 

Lectures, curtain ,36 

Law, Grand, of the town 46 

Laws, marriage 37 

Laws, various town 57 

Lands, division of 83 

Natick, grant of 89 

Labor, price of, established by the town 125 

Laphani, Benedict 196 

Le valley, Peter. . , 214 

Lotteries, grants to various parties 98, 324 

Lippitt, Col. Christopher Ill, 227 

Lii)pitt, family of 112 

Miantonomi, deed of land from 11 

Miantonomi, put to deat.li 22 

Massachusetts, claims of 15 

troubles with 17 

Matteson, family of 162 

Mashantatat or Moshanticut 69 

Mioarter, John, grant to for a fulling Mill 95 

vNIill, Edmonds', where .situated 207 

Mill, Eoger Williams, burnt 209 

Niles, Rev. Asa 323 

Norwood, Abraham 220 

Oakland Beach • 146 

Oc.cupassnetuxet, purchase of 12 

Office, men fined for not accepting 37 

Peck, Perez 2.^0 

Pawtuxet, signification of name 135 

Paiiepieset , 57,259 

Pumham summoned to attend court 43 

Pumham's fort, Avhere situated, 25 

wigwams burnt 75 

Pumham, killed near Dedham 75 

Philip, Indian Sachem , 70 

eloqvieut reply of 72 

slain at Mount Hope 79 

Prescott, General, capture of 1T4 

Public Schools 131 

Phenix partially burnt 221 

Potowomut, Indian deed of 49 

Potter, Robert, au early settler 47 

Power, Nicholas, account of * 21 

Records, early town 34 

T;ebellion, Southern, cost of to the town ... 132 

Rousmaniere, Henry , '. 136- 

Rocky Point 145 

Revolutionary war, soldiers of 123 

Ross, Rev. Arthur A 116 



380 INDEX. 



♦ Page. 

Remington, family of 167 

Ehodes, General Christopher ' 251 

Settlers, early, under arrest 19 

their release 23 

return f roTn Newport after Indian wai- 81 

Sabbath Schools, early ones 33fi 

School house, earliest one in town 143 

School house, Crompton, burnt 177 

Smith, John, President of R. I. Colony 37, 43 

further reference to 77,298 

Spencer, Deacon Pardon 10], 174, 179 

Spencer, "William B 225,257 

Soldiers, names of in war of rebellion 270 

Spring Green 138 

Sprague, Governor, William senior. ■ 125, 255 

Sprague, A. & W., immense business of. 254 

Sprague, Governor, letter in regard to from Senator Sprague. 120 

Sprague, Dr. Albert G 293 

Stafford, Thomas 63 

Shawomet, signification of name, 137 

Town Orders, early 13 

Town Records mutilated 65 

Town House, early preparations for 61 

Town meetings, sold to highest bidder 155 

Tiffany mill ". 173 

Teachers 177, U)7 

Toskiounke .57 

Updike's Narragansett referred to 62, 77 

Uncas, Sachem of the Mohegaus 22 

Villages'of Warwick, bird's eye view of l."4 

Warwick, population of from 1708 to present time _ !J4 

Warwick, town named for whom ' 26 

Waddell, William 21 

Waterman, Richard, account of. 1^, 297 

Waterman, John R 143 

Waterman, Resolved 242 

Waterhouse, Geu. James 196 

Wood, JohnJ 178 

Warner, John, disfranchised 45 

Westcott, Stukely, account of , , 40, 297 

Wickes, John, account of 24 

Wickes, John, slain by Indians 77 

Williams, Roger ' J, 51 

agent of the town to Massachusetts 57 

his letter voted " pernissious". . 64 

War, King Philii)'s 71 

Revolutionary, close of. . 124 

Wightman, Deacon Moses 340 

Yankee and Yankee Doodle, origin of the terms 124 



>^ 



